New urgent and primary-care centre opens in Port Coquitlam.
Photo (L-R): Cheryl Beach, executive director, Primary Care and Chronic Disease Management; Natalie McCarthy, vice president, Regional Care Integration; Dermot Kelly, president and CEO; Josie Osborne, Minister of Health; Mike Farnworth, MLA for Port Coquitlam; Dr. Nimeera Kassam; Nancy Joe, cultural coordinator, Kwikwetlem First Nation.
Residents of Port Coquitlam and surrounding communities will have improved access to timely, team-based care with the opening of a new urgent and primary-care centre (UPCC) on March 26, 2026.
"UPCCs play a key role in closing gaps in access to urgent, non-emergency health services, particularly for people who are waiting to be connected with a family doctor or nurse practitioner," said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. "Soon, residents of the Tri-Cities will have greater access and a clear pathway to connect with a family practitioner. By expanding UPCCs, we are strengthening primary care and improving access to health services for more communities."
The new UPCC, at 150-820 Village Drive in Port Coquitlam, will provide urgent care and eventually primary-care attachment. It will operate seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., including statutory holidays, and has the capacity to accommodate approximately 60,000 patient visits annually.
Timely, team-based care, close to home
The centre will deliver team-based care, bringing together physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, counsellors and allied health professionals, and it will open with a clinical staffing complement of approximately 20 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff. At full capacity, the 25.18 FTE clinical staff will be supported by 9.68 FTE administrative staff.
UPCCs provide interdisciplinary team-based primary care for people who need support within Ministry of Health 12-24 hours for non-urgent primary-care health concerns, such as sprains, cuts requiring stitches, fevers and minor infections that do not require emergency department services. They are designed to meet a range of primary-care health needs, including connecting patients to specialized services and supporting the self-management of chronic conditions.
"Getting the care you need, when you need it, close to home makes a real difference," said Dermot Kelly, president and CEO of Fraser Health. "The new Port Coquitlam Urgent and Primary Care Centre gives people in the Tri-Cities a local option for timely care where they live, work and raise their families. This centre is a reflection of our commitment to being there for our community, and I'm truly grateful to our teams and partners whose dedication and collaboration have brought this important resource to life."
Care will be provided mainly through in-person visits, with virtual care available as needed. All patients will be triaged at the start to determine their care needs and the most appropriate sequence of providers.
Part of B.C.'s plan to strengthen primary care
The ministry has committed more than $6 million in annual operating costs and a one-time amount of more than $890,000 in startup funding to establish the Port Coquitlam UPCC. The total capital cost is approximately $9 million, funded jointly by the Province, Fraser Health and the Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation.
The Province is committed to providing timely, high-quality care when and where people need it. The Port Coquitlam UPCC is a key part of B.C.'s plan to strengthen primary care, improve access to same-day urgent and primary care, connect people to co-ordinated, team-based services in their community, and ease pressure on hospital emergency departments.
Quick facts:
- The Port Coquitlam UPCC occupies a 1,000-square-metre (11,000 square feet) facility leased and operated by Fraser Health.
- Co-located X-ray services are planned for the site and the facility will incorporate point-of-care ultrasound and digital X-ray capability, working alongside Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation.
- The UPCC also features a low-stimulation quiet space to support patient care.
- This is the 13th UPCC in the Fraser Health region and 46th in the province.
Learn more:
- To learn more about UPCCs in the Fraser Health region, visit: https://www.fraserhealth.ca/Service-Directory/Services/primary-careservices/urgent-and-primary-care-centre
- To sign up to be matched with a family doctor or nurse practitioner on the Health Connect Registry, visit: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-connect-registry
- To learn more about the Province's primary-care strategy, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018PREM0034-001010
A backgrounder follows.
Backgrounders
Kristina Chung, executive director, Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation –
"We are proud to contribute to the Port Coquitlam Urgent and Primary Care Centre, helping expand access to essential health services for our community. Investments like this are made possible through the generosity of donors who share our commitment to strengthening local health care."
Dr. Nimeera Kassam, interim medical director, Port Coquitlam UPCC –
"The new Port Coquitlam UPCC will be an important, much-needed resource for our growing community and surrounding areas, especially for those without a primary care provider. At the UPCC we will support our patients with primary and acute care services through a team-based care model, including nurses, physicians, nurse practitioners and clinical care co-ordinators, helping to ease the pressure on our health care system."
Stephanie Higginson, parliamentary secretary for primary care –
"The Port Coquitlam UPCC reflects the progress we're making in building a stronger, more integrated primary-care system. By supporting interdisciplinary teams and expanding the services available in the community, we're helping ensure people can rely on co-ordinated care that meets their needs."
Mike Farnworth, MLA for Port Coquitlam –
"This new UPCC is a welcome addition to the Port Coquitlam community. With a team of dedicated health-care professionals, more families and individuals will have easier access to urgent, non-emergency services, ensuring they receive the care they need close to home."
Rick Glumac, MLA for Port-Moody-Burquitlam –
"The opening of this UPCC strengthens health care in Port Coquitlam, making urgent, same-day services more accessible. Thanks to the dedication of these health-care providers and Fraser Health, residents of the Tri-Cities area will soon have a streamlined path to the right services, at the right time."
Brad West, mayor of Port Coquitlam –
"The opening of the Port Coquitlam Urgent and Primary Care Centre is welcome news for our community. Having greater access to urgent and primary care close to home will make a meaningful difference for Port Coquitlam residents and families, and we are pleased to see this important service opening in our city."
Meghan Lahti, mayor of Port Moody –
"The opening of this new UPCC is welcome news for residents of the Tri-Cities. Its an important step forward in increasing access to timely health care, especially for individuals and families in our Tri-Cities communities who don't have a primary care provider."
