Cité de la Santé to get new family medicine building

Officials with the Agence de la santé des services sociaux de Laval and elected representatives of the Quebec Liberal government were in the auditorium of Laval’s Cité de la Santé on July 5 to announce new funding by the province to Laval’s main hospital for the construction of a new family medicine pavilion.

“This new family medicine unit fits in perfectly with the priorities of our government because its role is essential to the three complementary areas of our health network: services to the population, training in health and sciences for the providers and research into first-line health care,” said provincial Health and Social Services Minister Dr. Yves Bolduc.

Helping health net
He took part in a press conference with Fabre Liberal MNA Michelle Courchesne, Vimont Liberal MNA Vincent Auclair and Agence head Claude Desjardins. Bolduc said the province’s entire health network stood to gain from construction of the new interdisciplinary centre for training and research in family medicine. Courchesne said the family medicine clinic would be able to accommodate 4,000 patients per year, reducing pressure on Cité de la Santé’s emergency department.
“This project will without any doubt be profitable for the people of the Laval region,” she said. “And the areas of the hospital that are freed up by this may eventually be used to create more space for beds.” Cité de la Santé is preparing to open a new cancerology unit, just as this one for family medicine is being announced. Auclair pointed out that the two projects are necessary in view of the fact that Laval’s population continues growing and its existing health services network was feeling the strain.

Cost: $4.2 million
The new family medicine pavilion, which will be connected to the main Cité de la Santé building, will have 1,330 square metres of space. The $4.2 million cost is being paid entirely by the Quebec health and social services ministry. However, the cost of office and medical equipment will raise the bill substantially.
While Cité de la Santé has had a family medicine unit since 1978, this will be the first time it gets its own building. The new pavilion will provide a central location for family medicine’s interdisciplinary team of MDs, nurses and pharmacists. According to a press release issued by the Centre de santé et de services sociaux de Laval, there are plans to add other professionals to the growing family medicine unit’s roster, including psychologists, nutritionists and students of these disciplines.

Emergency spillover
According to the CSSS, the family medicine unit could eventually start accepting some patients from emergency, “because of its proximity” to that department. It might also opt to increase the number of visits received without appointment. Says the CSSS, “In situations where the emergency is overcrowded, this support could be of great assistance for the teams. The ultimate goal is to contribute to the well-being and the quality of life of the population of Laval.”