The “ambulatory care hub” that will eventually open at the site of the abandoned Costco building in St. John’s will serve as a one-stop shop for outpatient testing, therapy and surgeries, the provincial health minister said Friday,
But Tom Osborne clarified the new centre, slated to open in early 2025, won’t increase the number of health services or appointment slots on offer in eastern Newfoundland.
Instead, it’ll simply shuffle them around — in hopes that more space will improve wait times.
“This will not only remove vehicular and foot traffic at our acute care sites, it will make those sites more efficient and it will provide a better option for individuals who are requiring ambulatory care that doesn’t have the necessity of overnight care,” Osborne told reporters Friday.
That means anyone with a physiotherapy appointment, for instance, will no longer be directed to St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital or the larger Health Sciences Centre.
“We’re in a situation now where we do not have enough ambulatory clinic space as it exists,” said Greg Browne, senior medical director for the provincial health authority, Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services.