Health Topics/Services
A New Primary Health Care Model for Bay St. George Area
Western Health is pleased to announce a new model of primary health care for the Bay St. George area. This team-based model of care will include nurse practitioners based in the St. George's and Jeffrey’s medical clinics. The nurse practitioners will work collaboratively with family physicians from Sir Thomas Roddick Hospital to provide better continuity of care for patients in the area. Physicians will provide care from the clinics one day each week and will be available for consultation and to provide advice when it is required.
A nurse practitioner has been recruited for the Jeffrey’s Medical Clinic and is scheduled to begin seeing patients in August. This nurse practitioner will share time between Jeffrey’s and St. George's until a second full-time nurse practitioner is recruited for the St. George's Medical Clinic. The recruitment process for the second position is currently underway.
“We see this model as one that will benefit residents in the Bay St. George area,†said Dr. Dennis Rashleigh, Vice President of Medical Services. “The plan is to have the same doctor or a small team of doctors rotate in the clinics and that will provide a better level of continuity because the residents will be able to have long-term relationships with their care providers.â€
Nurse Practitioners play an important role in preventing disease, promoting good health and diagnosing and treating illness.
“We welcome with open arms this nurse practitioner to our area,†said Rita Legge, chair of the Bay St. George Local Service District. “This is a positive change for our residents and we are pleased to work with Western Health to bring this model to life for the residents of our Local Service District.â€
The medical clinics in St. George’s and Jeffrey’s have had physicians providing temporary coverage during the period of vacancies.
“We are very pleased the residents in our area will have access to a consistent primary health care provider,†said Danny Conway, Mayor of the Town of St. George’s.
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Media Contact:
John Tompkins
Director of Communications
Department of Health and Community Services
(709) 729-1377 (o) 728-7762 (c)
Jtompkins@gov.nl.ca
Tara Pye
Director of Communications (Acting)
Western Health
(709) 637-5252
tarajpye@westernhealth.nl.ca
Backgrounder: The Role of Nurse Practitioners
Nurse practitioners play an important role in preventing disease, promoting good health and diagnosing and treating illness.
Nurse practitioners can:
• Order and interpret x-rays and blood tests.
• Diagnose diseases and conditions.
• Prescribe medications, treatments, therapies.
• Perform special tests and procedures.
• Provide education on health and disease.
• Practice independently and in teams.
• Perform annual physicals.
• Order X-rays, blood and other diagnostic tests.
• Perform minor procedures (e.g. suturing, draining abscesses).
• Monitor and help patients self-manage chronic diseases (e.g. COPD, diabetes, high blood pressure, pain, arthritis).
• Prescribe medications or therapies to treat short or long term illness (e.g. urinary tract infections, pneumonia, diabetes).
• Immunize for disease prevention (e.g. influenza and HPV vaccines).
• Provide patient counseling (e.g. mental health, family planning).
• Provide health promotion (e.g. smoking cessations, weight loss, exercise) or screening for diseases (e.g. PAP smears, colon cancer screening).
• Refer patients to other health care providers (e.g. physiotherapist, dietitian, diabetes educator, wound care specialist).
• Refer patients to physician specialists (e.g. neurologists, surgeons, dermatologists).
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