Golden BC Medical Clinic: The physicians of Golden would like to clarify and expand upon a few points made regarding Dr. Larsen-Soles’ community Facebook post that was published in the paper on Jan 2nd.
Firstly, we would like the community to know we are NOT in crisis the way other rural communities in BC, and across Canada are. We are at no risk of having to close the emergency department.
However, given the need to adequately staff the hospital, as Dr. Larsen-Soles pointed out in her post, this has left us with fewer physician hours in the clinic.
For the last 10 years, we have been very well-staffed in terms of physicians in Golden and this has allowed our community to enjoy excellent healthcare access locally. With recent retirements and changes in practice, as well as many of us having busy, young families, the hours that are available for patient care have shrunk.
This means that we need the community to adjust their expectations slightly. We need people to plan ahead for their healthcare needs. If you need prescriptions refilled, please call for that appointment 2-4 weeks ahead of time. If you need to see your family doctor regularly consider planning those visits well ahead of time.
If your family doctor retired or moved or you are new to town, we will still see you in the clinic.
We have a policy that everyone in Golden and the area can be seen by a family doctor even if they don’t have one assigned yet. As soon as we are able to recruit new physicians, we will start rostering unattached patients.
We understand that many health issues come up that are unscheduled and can’t be planned for. The following are more resources that can be accessed before going to the emergency department.
1. Always call the clinic first thing in the morning M-F, often there are cancellations, and we reserve same-day appointments for urgent needs. You may find you can get a same-day appointment and avoid an unnecessary emergency visit.
2. We have a new Primary Care Network Nurse working in our clinic 3 days a week who can see simple issues like bladder infections, sore throats etc. She is also getting trained to do paps. She is an excellent resource that we have recently added to our practice.
3. Pharmacists can renew many medications for a short period of time, usually enough to be able to make an appointment with your family doctor. If you need an emergency refill, consider consulting one of our excellent community pharmacists if you’ve run out of regular medication and don’t have a doctor’s appointment yet.
They cannot renew certain controlled medications.
4. Consider calling 811 if you’re unsure about whether you need to be seen by a doctor.
5. We are in the thick of cold and flu season. The BCCDC and the Public Health Agency of Canada both have excellent resources on their websites regarding symptoms, treatment and when to be seen by a doctor:
a. http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/influenza
b. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/fluinfluenza.html
We are in the process of recruiting new physician staff, but it will likely take months before we are adequately staffed again. We appreciate the community’s patience as we work hard to make sure Golden and the area have adequate access to healthcare.
Services at Golden BC Medical Clinic
FAMILY MEDICINE
Family Medicine is the medical specialty involved in providing comprehensive care to patients of all ages and from all backgrounds. From neonates to geriatrics, from acute medical problems to managing chronic disease, family physicians are trained to manage a wide variety of medical problems.
OBSTETRICS AND WOMEN’S HEALTH
Our clinic offers a wide range of obstetrical and women’s health services. From perinatal appointments, deliveries, well-baby checks, breastfeeding consultations, contraception management and counselling.
URGENT CARE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES
Our clinic will try to accommodate same-day appointments where possible for patients with urgent medical needs. All of our physicians work in our hospital’s emergency department and are trained and experienced in handling medical emergencies. We work closely with the hospital and can refer patients there for imaging or laboratory work if needed.
SURGICAL SERVICES
Our clinic and hospital work together to provide surgical services locally in Golden, BC. We have General Surgery and Orthopedic services locally, as well as visiting Plastic Surgery. We also have CCFP-trained physicians with enhanced training in Anesthesia as well as Obstetrics. We provide local surgical consults and can refer out to larger centres as needed.
