Ladysmith Sexual Health Clinic Closes, VIHA Youth Clinic Opens
After 11 years of service to the community of Ladysmith, the Open Door Clinic (the community branch of Options for Sexual Health) is preparing to confidently hand the provision of local sexual health services over to the Vancouver Island Health Authority.
The Open Door clinic was opened in 1996 by a group of individuals concerned about a very high adolescent pregnancy rate and the lack of sexual health clinical services and education in Ladysmith. A local branch board of Options for Sexual Health (OPT), the Open Door later received the support of the Ministry of Health who generously provided space and a health care infrastructure in the High Street Public Health Unit.
Last year, VIHA identified the need for a clinic to serve youth health needs in the Ladysmith community and began communicating with the Ladysmith OPT board about their plans to open a youth clinic. Operating in the new Ladysmith Primary Health Care Centre, VIHA will no longer be in a position to offer the Open Door its space in the High Street building.
But Ladysmith OPT board member Michelle Steel said she is pleased with the results of the collaborative meetings with VIHA: "VIHA nursing staff really listened to our concerns about the service gaps in the community that we could not address and demonstrated it by promptly scheduling a weekly public health nurse visit to Ladysmith Secondary during the lunch break." After much communication and consideration, the OPT board decided not to move their clinic to a new location and scheduled a closure for later this fall.
Ladysmith OPT board member Mary Mulrooney was a public health nurse in Ladysmith for 20 years, a founding board member, and a volunteer counsellor in the clinic. She says that while the Open Door Clinic has proven its need in the community through its large number of clients, great community financial support and dedicated employees and volunteer staff, VIHA also has everything necessary to provide excellent sexual health services to the community. "We're not closing our door," emphasized Mary, "we are transferring the services to VIHA and are confident in the quality of the future sexual health services VIHA will provide."
Tuesday, November 27 will be the final Open Door Clinic at the High Street Health Unit. The Ladysmith OPT board would like to extend its thanks to all those that have supported the Open Door clinic over the years: doctors, nurses, volunteers and its many financial donors alike. The board would also like to assure any financial supporters that residual funds will continue to support comprehensive sexual health education in the Ladysmith community and its schools. The Ladysmith Options for Sexual Health board will continue to operate locally to promote quality sex education and to liaise with VIHA for a seamless transition of clinical services.
For interviews, please contact:
Jessica Peart
Manager, Executive Services
Options for Sexual Health
Media Cell: 604-786-0725
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