Secwepemc Primary Care Services Grand Opening

Sexqeltqin Health Clinic is set to open its doors in Chase, B.C., as the clinic build is near completion on Wednesday, December 13, 2023. The Adams Lake Band established a dedicated sector for Primary Health Care Services, including the development of the Sexqeltqin Health Clinic, which incorporates traditional and cultural healing approaches with comprehensive primary health care and allied health services through partnership with Primary Care Network, Interior Health, the Division of Family Practice, First Nations Health Authority (FNHA), and the Secwepemc Nation. A phased service plan includes a Nurse Practitioner, General Practitioner (GP), Psychiatry, Primary Care Nurse, Public Health Services, Psychiatric Nurse, Mental Wellness Trauma Clinician, Mental Wellness Counsellor, Primary Care Social Worker, Aboriginal Care Coordinator, Respiratory Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist, Traditional Healer, etc. The community of Adams Lake Band and surrounding communities will have full access to a comprehensive care team that will support people with their holistic health needs across the lifespan in a team-based care approach.
The dedicated sector for Social Detriments Wellness and Child and Family Services will be a place to work on health promotion and wellness-enhancing programs that fall outside the scope of clinical health services and address the social detriments of health, such as cultural programs, child and family, social assistance, elders and youth programs, etc. This sector will also house Child and Family Services and Social Development that complement and work in alignment with the wellness promotion services and programs.
This project was initiated in 2016 as a vision of the Chief and Council then and now. The hard work of the previous Health and Wellness Director, Shirley Anderson led health and wellness as the Director for ALIB for 10 years and spearheaded the new building; Rhonda Camille has led as Health and Wellness Director since Shirley’s retirement for the past 2.5 years and kept the project going and brought it to where is now. Shawna Biron is now supporting by building the health clinical services team and partnerships. It is the years of hard work from all involved that is bringing this vision to life.