The Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission (SNBSC) is hoping to help connect residents in Charlotte County with a family doctor through an event at the Garcelon Civic Center this month.
Charlene Hatt, Regional Director of Economic Development for the SNBSC, said the organization sensed a need in the community.
“We just had a sense there was a large need in the community for primary health care and that they didn’t know or weren’t aware of NB Health Link,” she said in an interview with The Courier.
NB Health Link was created to help link people in New Brunswick without a family doctor, to primary health care.
The SNBSC said they received data from the province showing there were a lower number of people registered than the organization was expecting, given how much they’d heard from residents that they didn’t have a primary health care provider.
Hatt said many of the people they’d heard from weren’t on the list to get primary care providers or were aware of NB Health Link.
“We’re trying to bridge that gap,” she said.
The event will be held at the Garcelon Civic Centre on Jan. 23 in the Halstead Room from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Volunteers will be set up with a laptop to assist people with the process of registering for NB Health Link.
“They’ll also explain what to expect after the fact and give them some information on what NB Health Link provides for health care, as well as, what the province has in place for other options if you don’t have a primary physician or nurse practitioner,” Hatt said.
Dial-A-Ride will also provide rides to the event, but you must give 48 hours’ notice. Residents should bring a valid Medicare card.
“If we think there is a need beyond this, we’ll host further events here and around the region,” she said.
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