For residents of the Comox Valley in need of a family physician, the answer may literally be right around the corner.
The new Crown Isle Plaza, on the corner of Ryan Road and Lerwick, is set to open a brand new, state-of-the-art medical clinic in early April. With an estimated 7,000 residents of the valley without a family doctor, the clinic is ready to accept at least 2,000 to 3,000 new patients, according to owner and medical director Dr. James Ingrey.
“Patient access to our services is a priority, where every effort will be made to accommodate appointment requests,” says Dr. Ingrey.
Accepting new patients will be Dr. Ingrey himself, who is relocating from his Sixth Street Courtenay office with his current colleagues, along with Victoria-raised physician Stephen Burgess and female physician Sharmeen Mazaheri — both of whom bring experience in rural family medicine.
A second female physician, Karen Nishio, will join the practice in a part-time capacity.
“The goal has been to bring together an enthusiastic and committed team of physicians and allied health professionals, dedicated to improving and maintaining the well-being of residents in the Comox Valley,” says Dr. Ingrey.
In line with that vision, the clinic will also welcome dietician Tiffany McFadden, with a plan to add more allied health professionals in due time. Patient accessibility to allied health professionals is increasingly being viewed as an essential part of chronic disease management and overall health.
“The optimal health-care model is a patient-centred model, where the patient has access to different arms of healthcare — be it nursing, dieticians, physiotherapists, physicians, and so forth, all working towards the common goal of complete health maintenance and recovery,” says Dr. Burgess.
The team at Crown Isle Clinic all carry this mindset, with Dr. Mazaheri adding that you may even leave her office with “a prescription for medicine, exercise suggestions, and a healthy recipe.”
With initial office hours Mondays to Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the physicians also intend to add evening hours to better serve the community once the practice is fully established.
The Crown Isle Plaza also hosts an on-site pharmacy in the new Thrifty Foods and is within walking distance of the proposed site of the new Comox Valley hospital.
Patients wishing to register can do so now by visiting www.thecrownisleclinic.com or by calling 250-338-1333.