Canada's healthcare system is renowned for its universal coverage, making sure that essential medical services are available to all its citizens. However, many Canadians struggle to access a regular health care provider. According to a 2019 Statistics Canada survey, over 14% of Canadians aged 12 or older reported not having access to regular care—long wait times, geographic isolation and a severe shortage of physicians are just a few of the barriers that prevent many from receiving essential care. 

“It's not an easy path in this day and age with the state of health care in this province,” said Joyce Rankin, board chair of the Creating Community Wellness Society in Victoria. “Nobody has as many primary care providers as they need.”

The Creating Community Wellness Society, a non-profit organization in Victoria leading in the development of community-based health and wellness initiatives, is actively working to address that gap. The society provides RN services, information and referral support, and a safe and welcoming space for patients both with and without primary health providers.

By connecting patients with registered nurses, the society helps more people have access to basic medical services like injections and wound care, as well as education about chronic health conditions, assistance navigating the healthcare system and help getting on a waitlist to see a general practitioner. They also offer a variety of wellness sessions led by practitioners and community educators—short courses, workshops and long-term programs—that help encourage people in Victoria to adopt healthy habits and behaviours for optimal wellness.

More than your average walk-in clinic, the Creating Community Wellness Society aims to be a safe and caring space for those who need it most. 

“We’re living in a system where you have to figure things out for yourself and lot of times, when a patient comes in, they don’t know where to go, or what to ask,” Rankin said, stressing that elderly people in particular have a difficult time navigating a system that forces people to figure things out for themselves. 

“Our whole motto is to be a welcoming, caring environment so that people can come in and ask us anything—no question is a wrong question and if we don’t know, we help you find out. It’s care, as in the form of ‘to be caring,’” she said. 

The society has made a great impact by welcoming more than 1,350 people in Victoria this year, acting as both a first and last resort for people struggling to find access to medical care. With an increasing number of visitors each year, they aim to become a fully-fledged community health centre that can provide full, in-depth medical assessments and procedures such as medical diagnosis, prescription renewal, blood tests and scans like X-rays, ultrasounds, and MRIs. 

One of the greatest challenges to achieving this goal, however, is finding general healthcare practitioners. Like many community health centres these days, the society does not yet have a family physician or nurse practitioner on staff who can provide these services—while work is underway to recruit these positions, an extreme shortage makes it difficult to both recruit and maintain these roles. 

“There are a lot of loops to jump through,” said Kim Duffus, executive director of the society. “At this point in time, because we don’t have primary health providers, we’re helping people navigate by ensuring they get on the list to see one.”

While the community health centre model has proven to be extremely attractive, funding is another major issue. Annual funding and donations from supporters like the British Columbia Association of Community Health Centres and the Victoria Foundation has been extremely supportive, though much more is needed in order for the society to reach its goal. 

Currently, 100% of all donations go directly to the Creating Community Wellness Society’s nursing services, helping to maintain a level of basic care and guidance to those who need it most. For information on how to donate, please visit the society’s website.