Stu Salkeld, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
East Central Alberta Review
The County of Stettler council heard a report on how the Bashaw region works together to provide some primary care services and how that could benefit some of the county’s population. The presentation was made at the Oct. 9 regular meeting of council.
Councillors heard a virtual presentation by Jackie Northey who described herself as a co-leader of Bashaw’s comprehensive collaborative response model, noting that it essentially is a large group of municipalities, services and agencies covering the Bashaw region that work together to streamline services.
Northey noted the model currently assists County of Stettler residents near Donalda on the municipality’s east end.
She noted the service area is the same as the Bashaw RCMP detachment boundaries and groups have been working on this model for 10 years.
She described the wide-ranging nature of the group, noting those involved include RCMP, school divisions, municipalities, community resource centres, faith organizations, provincial agencies and many more.
“You can see there’s a lot of collaboration that has to happen to achieve what we’re trying to achieve,’ said Northey.
Northey noted the motivating factor behind the model is to have a care system where someone in need only has to walk through one door and the model takes it from there. She stated that the Bashaw region wanted to step up and take care of themselves.
She noted the model looks at all partners and asks which member can provide a certain service to the highest level, then the community can come together and fill the gap.
The group not only offers help to clients needing to navigate the social service net but also offers advocacy for them. Northey noted she’s pretty savvy herself when navigating the system but even she has problems getting through the system sometimes.
“So somebody who’s vulnerable and hurting would have a lot more trouble,” said Northey.
She pointed out that the model isn’t intended to handle everything for clients at all times; it intends to ease clients into the system.
Primary care clinic
Northey also described a project the group has been working on, essentially a rural primary care clinic that would include a locally-owned facility where health professionals and service providers could offer their help without having to run a facility themselves.
Northey noted some medical professionals aren’t interested in running facilities or operating a businesslike clinic, they prefer just to offer their medical services.
She noted the primary care facility would host doctors, nurses of different types, pharmacists and much more. The group has a facility in mind right now, but Northey noted Alberta Health Services (AHS) is currently undergoing changes and there are some things the group needs, like grant money, that remain up in the air.
However, she stated Sylvan Lake has an existing clinic much like the one Bashaw wants and by looking at that operation it’s been suggested wait times and medical professional availability could be greatly improved.
Northey stated the Bashaw group has already met with a number of other municipalities and all seem interested, even excited, about the idea.
Coun. Justin Stevens asked where the doctors for the proposed clinic would come from. Northey stated they would be from out of the community.
Coun. Les Stulberg asked if the Bashaw primary care clinic would be a “carbon copy” of the Sylvan Lake one. Northey answered not exactly, as Bashaw proposes offering social services as well as primary care while Sylvan Lake’s clinic doesn’t offer the social aspect.
Reeve Larry Clarke stated he saw the Bashaw proposal as an interesting approach to the primary healthcare challenge facing rural communities.
“As rural, we all know what those challenges are now,” added Clarke.
