A new health care centre is expected to open in Vernon sometime next year, according to Interior Health.
It will be the city's second urgent and primary care centre (UPCC), coming thanks to a partnership between the health authority, the Ministry of Health, the Shuswap North Okanagan Primary Care Network and other community partners.
The UPCC is being established in response to closures of walk-in clinics in 2023 which resulted in decreased access to episodic care in the community, Interior health said in an email.
When the Sterling Centre shut down in November 2023, it was Vernon's last walk-in clinic. Another walk-in at the Superstore had closed in September of that year. The walk-in closures sparked widespread concern about a lack of health care options in the community. The situation was somewhat abated when the CareConnect I.D.A Pharmacy on 25th Avenue began offering walk-in services in the spring of 2024. Long lineups at this walk-in can currently be seen daily.
In August 2024, B.C. Premier David Eby came to Vernon to announce Vernon's second UPCC. He acknowledged at a roundtable meeting with health care professionals the dire need for the centre given the walk-in closures.
Interior Health says a service plan for the UPCC has been submitted to the Ministry of Health for review, which will bring more urgent or primary care to Vernon patients.
"We are aware the Ministry of Health is reviewing the service plan for clinical resourcing, which will provide additional urgent/episodic primary care to patients in Vernon. When the service plan is approved, Interior Health will begin the necessary recruitment to operate the UPCC," the health authority said.
"UPCCs are designed to provide additional options for patients and families to access urgent primary care 365 days a year with extended hours in the evenings, weekends and holidays," Interior Health added.
Interior Health said the clinic is expected to open sometime in 2026, and could not provide a more specific timeline. The centre was expected to open in late 2025 at the time it was announced.
