What you need to know about Saskatchewan’s first urgent care centre

Saskatchewan’s first urgent care centre is finally open.

The $18.7 million facility is currently operating seven days a week at 1320 Albert Street in Regina, and is open from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. In the fall, once the centre is fully staffed, it will begin operating 24 hours a day.

The centre will be home to 130 staff members, and 117 have already been hired. The Saskatchewan Health Authority is in the process of recruiting health-care graduates and international professionals, including nurses from the Philippines.

What is the purpose of the urgent care centre?

The Regina Urgent Care Centre is designed to provide another option for those who need urgent, non-emergency care. It is meant to help those who can’t access their primary care provider on short notice while avoiding emergency department visits for care that can be provided in another setting.

The health authority predicted the centre will divert 55 patients away from emergency rooms each day. As the centre is the first of its kind in the province, the health authority said adjustments will be made to match the needs of patients using the facility.

Who is meant to use the urgent care centre?

Anyone can use the urgent care centre. It is not a first-come, first-served basis of care, and patients are seen based on urgency.

The big question for many is when to use the urgent care centre or head to the hospital.

The urgent care centre is for serious, but non-life-threatening injuries or illnesses like cuts, burns, sprains, breaks, mental health issues, flu cases and addictions services. Anyone experiencing more serious symptoms like chest pain, breathing problems or a life-threatening emergency should call 911 immediately.

‘Urgent but not emergent’ is the general rule of thumb when it comes to knowing when to go to the UCC, (Government of Saskatchewan)

How is an urgent care centre different from a walk-in clinic?

The new centre’s goal is to be a one-stop shop for patients, who can receive a wide range of care all under one roof.

For example, if a patient with a sprained ankle visited a walk-in clinic, they would be referred by the doctor to get an x-ray at an off-site location. At the urgent care centre, a patient can be assessed, get an x-ray and have their results before leaving.

The x-ray machine will be offered seven days at week at the Urgent Care Centre. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

How will the centre treat mental health and addictions?

The centre’s mental health and addictions unit has its own triage system to best take care of patients.

The centre has dedicated workers who specialize in mental health and addictions, including a registered psychiatric nurse and a mental health and addictions assessor co-ordinator who is able to help with counselling and providing support through community programs.

A crash cart at the urgent care centre. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

There are also two counselling rooms equipped with a simple table and chairs to promote a conversational approach rather than a clinical approach.

One of the mental health counseling rooms in the Urgent Care Centre. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

What services are offered at the urgent care centre?

Along with the mental health and addictions unit, the urgent care centre offers many on-site services including casting, crutches, x-rays, blood testing, ultrasound and more.

The SHA said ultrasound will be offered seven days a week, eight hours a day. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

Staff are also prepared if a patient is sicker than they thought or deteriorates quickly. The centre is equipped with an ECG machine, a crash cart and a pediatric crash cart. Staff have all been trained in emergency care, allowing them to stabilize and transfer a patient if required.

The urgent care centre is also equipped with eye wash and shower stations. In the event of a bear spray incident, the centre can vent out the chemicals to avoid spreading it to the rest of the clinic.

One room in the centre is specifically designed to isolate patients who present with an airborne virus. It’s equipped with a negative pressure system so air doesn’t spread to the rest of the building, and an anteroom so staff members can get in and out safely.

The urgent care centre is equipped with an isolation room for patients with an airborne illness. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

What support is available for patients and families?

The health authority said patient care is at the forefront of the centre, and comfort is top of mind.

The centre features a unique Cultural/Spiritual Room for people of different cultures to use in traditional ceremonies. For Indigenous people, this may include smudging.

Stretcher beds can take up a lot of space, but to cut back on the issue the centre has a designated chair area. Patients receiving treatments like IV therapy or stitches may find sitting in a chair more comfortable than laying in a bed, and the chairs are also helpful to patients with small children, making them easier to hold.

Chairs take up less space than stretcher beds and are a special feature at the Urgent Care Centre. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

Patients can also secure personal items at ease through the urgent care centre’s locker program.

When at the Urgent Care Centre, patients can lock away personal items while receiving treatment, (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

Will there be more urgent care centres in Saskatchewan?

Yes. An urgent care centre was announced for Saskatoon in 2020.

At the time, the government announced $30 million for the two centres.

The Saskatoon facility is to be built near St. Paul’s Hospital through a collaboration with the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation. Under the new partnership, the building and land will be owned by Ahtahkakoop Cree Developments and leased to the Saskatchewan Health Authority, which will deliver the services.