Officers were elected May 30 by the newly organized board of directors for the emerging Lower Columbia Community Health Centre.
Linda Sawchenko of Trail was elected president. Other officers elected were Wesley Startup of Fruitvale as vice-president, Cindy Cook of Montrose as secretary, Kevin Jolly of Trail as treasurer and Joeann Argue of RDKB Electoral Area A as board executive committee member.
The Community Health Centre proposal is supported by the five area municipalities — Fruitvale, Montrose, Rossland, Trail and Warfield — the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, the Kootenay-Boundary Division of Family Practice and the Lower Columbia Community Development Society.
When operational in 2024, it will be a network of clinics delivering team-based comprehensive primary healthcare to the area, with a local, non-profit governance.
The proposal, developed over the past four years by a working group of local physicians, a nurse-practitioner, and community leaders, addresses the current healthcare crisis-level lack of access to primary healthcare, with its many consequences.
For more information about the Lower Columbia Community Health Centre visit: kootenayclinics.org.
Win Mott
Working group chair, Lower Columbia Community Health Centre