By now we’ve all heard the myriad of issues plaguing our public healthcare system.
B.C. residents travelling to the U.S. for medical care and treatments; doctor shortages crippling communities; or loved ones dying while stuck on waitlists for addiction treatments.
A new healthcare facility in Victoria aims to reverse those trends by giving you an opportunity to see a physician in a timely manner, offering you second opinion when you feel you need one and guide you on how to make use of the available resources offered by the government
Perpetual Health Centre is a full-suite, holistic medical facility that operates outside the confines of the Medical Services Plan, offering timely support and treatment for all manner of ailments that does not require ER visit, addiction & mental health issues and an opportunity to have a family doctor for ongoing care.
The centre is headed up by experienced medical professionals: Dr. Perpetua Nwosu, who has practiced medicine across the globe for more than 20 years; and Dr. Stanley Shapiro, a University of Toronto-trained family physician with certification in addiction medicine and more than four decades of experience in the medical field.
“We offer a continuity of care, we are available for our clients when they need us, that's why we’re different from most other clinics in Victoria,” Nwosu explains.
The centre operates across two distinct fields that are inextricably linked: a family practice model that offers more in-depth consults, 24/7 advice by phone or email, same-day walk-in appointments for minor illness and a mental health health clinic which focuses on anxiety, depression, adult ADHD, substance abuse and addiction disorder.
This efficient service model is being offered by top medical personnel across three main areas:
Mental health services
The addiction and mental health services include the assessment and individualized treatment of addiction, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and adult ADHD. Shapiro will lead a team of physicians, counselors, and social workers who will host day treatment and aftercare programs for addiction.
For ADHD in particular, in Victoria there’s a dearth of healthcare professionals available to assess, treat and monitor clients. At Perpetual Health Centre the centre, treatment includes cognitive behaviour therapy lifestyle modification and prescribing and monitoring medication where applicable.
Addiction services
Let’s say today, you or a family member realize you have an addiction problem. In most cases you’ll be waiting six-plus months to receive medical supervised in-patient alcohol and drug rehabilitation.
At Perpetual Health Centre, your journey towards wellness can begin within 24 hours.
The addiction program includes four hours of daily group therapy, individual counselling, after-care meetings, and a process called neuro modulation that stimulates the brain to help keep cravings at bay.
Your treatment can be monitored from home, where you will have support of your loved ones and be able to carry on your daily activities.
This model is vastly more affordable compared to an in person stay at an addiction centre. Shapiro ran a 60-bed inpatient addiction treatment centre in Ontario for 17 years. After years of experience in the field, he believes that an outpatient multidisciplinary addiction treatment centre is a way forward in dealing with the ongoing issue of addiction in our community. Shapiro is hoping the addiction day program at Perpetual Health Centre will be a first of its kind addiction centre in B.C. that will quickly be emulated. A centre that has a holistic approach and is able to provide addiction, mental health and physical health care.
The continuity found in family practice
The notion of having a family practice tied into all other services is perhaps Perpetual Health’s greatest strength.
Some facilities develop a treatment plan for a patient and then leave that person to navigate an overburdened healthcare system and face long wait times.
However, at Perpetual Health, an individual struggling with alcohol addiction undergoes assessment, receives a treatment plan, and is provided with the necessary support for addiction and mental health treatments. At the same time, through the family practice side, they receive treatment for any physical health issues such as kidney or liver disease caused by their addictions.
For more information, see www.perpetualhealthcentre.com. Your path to wellness is one click or phone call away.
