Community Information
The history of Grand Forks is strongly linked to the railroad and mining boom of the 1890s and early 1900s. It is home of the descendants of many BC’s Doukhobours, a Pacifist group of political refugees from Russia that settled in the area in 1909. The Doukhobour culture is still evident in the valley today.Grand Forks is located just north of the Canada/United States border in the Thompson Okanagan region, in south central BC. With its tree-lined streets, heritage homes and old fashioned baseball diamond, the city is a reminder of times gone by. The Grand Forks economy was founded upon mining and agriculture and today it is one of the fastest growing towns in the Kootenays.
Residents enjoy a wide range of leisure pursuits including fishing, hunting, hiking, biking, golfing, skiing and all types of water sports. With an average of over 2,000 hours of sunshine annually, the Grand Forks valley is frequently referred to as “Sunshine Valley”. Temperatures range from -8 to -2 degrees Celsius in the winter and 18 to 26 degrees Celsius during the summer months.
INDUSTRY:
Forestry, mining, tourism, agriculturePopulation
Town Population: 4,126 (BC Stats, 2006 Census)
Patient Catchment: 10,000
Ages of Population:
0-17: 16.0%
18-24: 8.6%
25-64: 50.2%
65+: 25.2% (BC Stats, 2010 Figures)
Health Administrative Information
Health Authority: Interior Health
Health Service Delivery Area: Kootenay Boundary
Regional District: Kootenay Boundary
Rural Designation: RSA community
RRP Designation: A
RRP Points: 25.40
Practitioners + Clinic information
General Practitioners: 5 (www.cpsbc.ca) + 1 Specialist
Clinics
Boundary Medical Clinic
Box 400, 7486 – 2nd Street
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 442-8233
Grand Forks Health Centre
1200 Central Avenue
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 443-3150
Contact Info
Boundary Hospital
Box 2647, 7649 – 22nd Street
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 443-2100 | F: 250 442-8331
Hospital Info
Boundary Hospital provides:
- Laboratory and radiology (x-ray) services
- Emergency services (24hr)
- Acute care beds for patient admissions for general medicine, observation, assessment, convalescence and palliative care
- Low-risk obstetrical care
- Outpatient ambulatory care procedures
- Physiotherapy
- Clinics and programs including diabetic education, respiratory, chemotherapy, IV Therapy, dialysis
Acute Care Beds: 12
Emergency Care Beds: 9
Major Medical Centre: Kelowna (231 km)
Emergency Room
This community has a full service Emergency Room that is open 24/7. It offers limited obstetrical services in addition to emergent and acute care.
Number of Visits Per Year: 11,181 (2009/2010: IHA Stats)
Number of Emergency Beds: 9
Travel distance to transfer hospital: 231 km to Kelowna
Hospital CAEP and CTAS
CAEP Classification
Description Level 4 – Facility with inpatient beds. May be optional services i.e. obstetrics, definitive for appropriate conditions, stabilization and transfer to another facility as required, open 24/7
CTAS Level
CTAS Level I (Resuscitation)
CTAS Level II (Emergent)
CTAS Level III (Urgent)
CTAS Level IV (Less Urgent)
CTAS Level V (Non Urgent)
Anaesthetics
This community offers anaesthetic services (GP Anaesthetist)
Surgery
This community provides minor surgeries, including carpal tunnel corrections, hernia repairs, and vasectomies
Maternity
Midwives from Penticton service this area.
Willow Community Midwives
254B Ellis Street
Penticton, BC, V2A 8K3
P: 250 276-6088 | F: 250 276-6101
Lab services
Boundary Hospital Lab
7649 – 22nd Street
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H
P: 250 443-2116 | F: 250 442-2104
Hrs: Mon-Fri 8 am – 2 pm
Imaging services
X-Ray
Boundary Hospital Imaging
7649 – 22nd Street
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 443-2118 | F: 250 442-8331
Hrs: 8 am – 2 pm
Ultrasound
This community has ultrasound imaging services
Mammography
Mammography services provided by BC Cancer Agency twice a year. See www.bccancer.bc.ca for details.
BC Ambulance
BC Ambulance Service provides coverage to this community, including Air Ambulance services.
Pharmacy
Drugstore Pharmacy #8581
Box 940, 7007 – 27th Street
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 442-5360 | F: 250 442-8170
Overwaitea Pharmacy #24
Box 70, 441 Central Avenue
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 442-3147 | F: 250 442-3149
Pharmasave #106
Box 998, 330 Central Avenue
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 442-3515 | F: 250 442-3225
Value Drug Mart
Box 1409, 317 Market Avenue
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 442-0897 | F: 250 442-0913
Extended Care
Hardy View Lodge (80 beds)
Boundary Hospital
7649 – 22nd Street
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 443-2100
Home Nursing
Continuing Care Program
Boundary Hospital
7649 – 22nd Street
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 443-2100
Dietetics
Outpatient Nutritional Counselling
Boundary Hospital
7649 – 22nd Street
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 443-2100
Diabetic Nurse Educator
Boundary Hospital
7649 – 22nd Street
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 443-2100
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy Department
Boundary Hospital
7649 – 22nd Street
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 443-2100
In-community
Suzanne Grant
1200 Central Avenue, Glanville Centre
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 442-5780 | F: 250 442-3588
Occupational therapy
Laura Ford
1200 Central Avenue, Glanville Centre
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 442-5780 | F: 250 442-3588
Mental Health and Addictions
Boundary Mental Health & Addiction Services
Box 34, 7474 – 3rd Street
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 442-0330
Hrs: Mon-Fri 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Social workers
Grand Forks Health Unit
Interior Health Authority
Box 2647, 1200 Central Avenue, Glanville Center
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 443-3150 | F: 250 443-3180
Boundary Family and Individual Services Society
1200 Central Avenue, Glanville Centre
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 442-2267
Ankors AIDS Network
#46 – 17th Avenue South
Cranbrook, BC, V1C 5A8
P: 250 426-3383 | TFP: 1 800 421-2437Freedom Quest / CYMH Grand Forks
486B – 72nd Avenue
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 442-4378 | F: 250 442-3588
Hrs: 8:30 am – 4:30 pmBoundary Family & Individual Services Society
Pregnancy Outreach Program
Box 2498
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 442-5780 ext. 123 | F: 250 442-3588Boundary Family and Individual Services Society
Violence Again Women Counseling Services
Glanville Centre, 1200 Central Street
Grand Forks, BC, V0H 1H0
P: 250 443-3150Practice Site Information
Boundary Medical Clinic
PO Box 400 Grand Forks BC V0H 1H0
P: 250 442-8233 | F: 250 442-3949
Physician Site Coordinator
Dr Robb Sebastian
All the staff meets in emergency every morning for minor procedures, lumps and bumps, emerg patients etc. On call in emergency. Wednesday rounds and daily chart reviews.
On-call Schedule
1 in 5
Training Site Information
Medical Student Training: Yes
Medical Student: UBC
Family Practice Resident Site: Yes
Medical Resident: UBC, Out of Province
Other Professionals: Physiotherapy
Students & Residents Perspectives
On the community
Nice community, easy to get to know people and get involved in activities.
On the experience
Very supportive environment yet lots of independence. Physicians and staff all wonderful to work with.
Challenges
“Many may be disappointed to have a lack of obstetrics here.”
“Patient
% low: 40%
% medium: 40%
% high: 20%
Patient Load
Practice per Day: 120 -140
Physician per Day: 30 – 35
Resident per Day: 10 – 15
“Personnel
Physiotherapists
Office Set-up
Does your office have a surgical suite? No
Payment modality: Fee-for-service
Do you use a consistent charting system in your practice? Yes
Is there a problem list on each chart? Yes
Is there space for the resident to have an office and examination room? Yes
Would you expect the resident to rotate offices on a regular basis? No
Technology: Billing, Healthnet in town
Educational Opportunities
Hospital Rounds: Yes, informal
CME Teleconferences: No
Videoconferences: Yes, there are opportunities to engage in CME via videoconference
Conferences: Yes, there are opportunities for conferences.
Journal Clubs/Reading: No
CCFP Small Group Learning: No
Preceptor Physicians
Dr. Geoff Coleshill, Dr. David Merry (Christina Lake), Dr. Bob Lewis, Dr. Nathan Dalla Lana
Teaching Disciplines
Medicine
Nursing
Mental Health
