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Christmas came early: Sooke gets new nurse practitioner

Island Health expands its primary care outreach service in Sooke with the addition of nurse practitioner, Fiona Hutchison
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Fiona Hutchison, nurse practitioner, stands outside the expanded Island Health primary care outreach tent in Sooke.

Sooke is getting a new nurse practitioner for Christmas this year.

Fiona Hutchison will join Island Health's primary care outreach service in Sooke, which until now provided just blood pressure checks, treatment for minor injuries and referrals. Following Hutchinson’s addition, it will provide diagnoses and treatment of minor and major illnesses, plus preventative care and patient screening.

The services will be held in a blue tent outside the Sooke Food Bank. 

The outreach service, which began in 2023, operates free of charge on a first-come first-serve basis.  

"I feel privileged to provide primary care outreach services to those who need them most," Hutchison said. "Food and housing insecurity have a major impact on health, and working at the outreach service will allow me to help those with significant health challenges." 

Rebecca Littlejohn, a registered nurse who’s worked at the outreach service since its inception, emphasized the centre's importance for those who do not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner. “They also struggle to get an appointment in the urgent and primary care centre due to barriers around transportation and phone access. 

“I'm trying to meet people where they are and remove as many barriers to care as possible." 

So far, the service has proven a valuable resource with many residents praising the service for being so welcoming and genuinely cared for.  

"I am so grateful to have this service available. When times have been tough, I was offered so much support here," said Gay, an outreach service client who spoke to Island Health. 

The service is open on Thursdays from 9 a.m. until noon, providing for up to 10 community members.  

The Western Communities Primary Care Network has provided funding for Hutchinson's addition in support of the service's expansion.