Local donors have put together $630,000 that will go towards making Penticton's new primary care and walk-in clinic a reality.
The Comunity Foundation of the South Okanagan Similkameen (CFSOS) recently presented the collection of donations and grant money from local donors to the South Okanagan Similkameen (SOS) Health Care Society for the Colleen Schneider Medical Clinic.
The CFSOS鈥檚 support was made possible by the generosity of donors like Brian Hodson and Sharon Romank. Years ago, they established a donor-advised fund with the Foundation, waiting for a meaningful opportunity to create a lasting impact.
"We have been waiting for a project to invest in that was in high need and would help a wide range of people in our community," Hodson and Romank said in a release. 鈥淎lso, a project that was sustainable and would be around in many years to come. The new Community Walk-In Clinic is a perfect fit. We are so excited to see it launched and so appreciative of all the people and organizations that have worked hard to make it happen."
With renovations underway in the Community Futures building, the goal is to have the clinic up and running by the summer, and to meet the $2.1-million fundraising goal to keep it going.
The SOS Health Care Society launched their fundraising campaign in March with a $1-million donation from Collen Schneider, who's name will now grace the future clinic.
"We couldn鈥檛 be more pleased to be developing this new community clinic,鈥� said Kelly Hawes, executive director of the SOS Health Care Society. 鈥淚t will give our community another great primary care service that will be a legacy for many years."
Once complete, the new location will have 20 exam and procedure rooms with space for 30 health-care practitioners, including doctors, physiotherapists, social workers and other providers.
In addition to physicians already in the community who have signed up to move in, three new physicians have committed to moving to the community as well.
It will replace the former Apple Plaza Walk-In Clinic, which has closed down, and will also provide primary longitudinal care for people throughout the community.
The SOS Health Care Society, together with the Community Foundation, SOS Division of Family Practice, Community Futures, SOS Medical Foundation, the City of Penticton, and other local champions, is now building a long-term, team-based care model that can serve as a blueprint for other communities facing similar challenges.
鈥淭his project is a true representation of what鈥檚 possible when we work together,鈥� said Aaron McRann, CFSOS CEO. 鈥淥ur philosophy has always been about being a connector鈥攂ringing the right people together to solve big challenges. We saw the potential here and knew we had to support it.鈥�
The society and foundation are still working towards their fundraising goal, and donations of any size are welcomed.
To support the clinic, or to find out more information, visit the CFSOS's website at cfso.net/PrimaryCare.
To support the ongoing success of this initiative or other primary care initiatives, donors can contribute to the SOS Community Primary Care Clinics Fund through the CFSOS.
