Sun Peaks Health Centre is currently a temporary, modular building.
Image Credit: Sun Peaks Health Centre
July 29, 2016 - 12:45 PM
KAMLOOPS - The new community health centre in Sun Peaks is getting a $100,000 boost from the provincial government.
Health Minister Terry Lake made the announcement at the mountain resort today, July 29. In a news release, Lake said the money will go toward medical equipment, supplies and furniture.
"The Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality, Sun Peaks Health Association and the community have been working hard at making their vision of expanded health services for families, residents and tourists a reality," Lake said in the release. "In 2014, we supported their work towards a plan for the new centre, and now this funding will help them outfit the centre with high-quality medical equipment, needed supplies and furniture, making the new centre a place that will support the health of Sun Peaks residents and visitors for years to come."
The Sun Peaks Health Association created a small temporary health centre in 2002 to serve the community.
The new facility will be located on the lower floor of a two-storey building that will house a doctor's office and examination rooms, as well as other health services, plus a triage area for accidents.
A major component of the health centre will be family doctor services for the communities of Sun Peaks, Whitecroft and the Upper Louis Creek Valley.
The upper floor will also house the Sun Peaks ski patrol staff and will be paid for by Sun Peaks Resort LLP.
"We hope to make our health centre one of the best-equipped small community clinics among mountain resorts in British Columbia," said Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality Mayor Al Raine in the release. "We are focused on tele-medicine equipment that will make it easy for patients to be diagnosed by specialists in major centres while remaining in Sun Peaks."
In May of 2014, the Ministry of Health provided $50,000 for the completion of a business plan. Now with this additional $100,000 in equipment funding, the municipality of Sun Peaks can start outfitting the facility with all of the necessities, including medical equipment and furniture, for a scheduled opening in early 2017.
Over the past 14 years, the Sun Peaks Health Association has raised $800,000 to support health services in Sun Peaks and will donate $500,000 to the capital costs of the new health centre.
In addition, they have committed to continuing to fundraise this summer in order to furnish the building with modern equipment and supplies to meet range of services.
The equipment fundraising goal is $400,000.
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News from © iNFOnews, 2016