Health Care Services in Barriere

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Mark Akangoziri to Barriere as a family physician. Along with Dr. Abeyinka Alabi, they will be providing primary care services out of the Barriere Health Centre, increasing access to primary care services for residents in the area. Dr. Mark Akangoziri will begin at the clinic on Monday, March 17 and patients will soon be able to make appointments to see him.

Patients who currently do not have a family physician will be attached to Dr. Akangoziri through the provincial Health Connect Registry. People who need a family doctor or nurse practitioner can register on the Health Connect Registry online at hcr.healthlinkbc.ca or by calling 8-1-1. People on the waitlist will soon be contacted to complete the intake process.

Dr. Akangoziri and Dr. Alabi are both internationally trained doctors who came to B.C. and have been able to obtain their licence to practice in Canada through the Practice Ready Assessment program. As part of the program, they commit to a three-year return of service.

The Barriere Health Centre is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please call 250‑672‑9795 to book an appointment with Dr. Alabi or Dr. Akangoziri.

Interior Health (IH) wants to thank you for attending the recent engagement sessions on the Health Care Services in Barriere. We are grateful for the opportunity to conduct this vital work on the traditional land of the Simpcw First Nations. IH approaches this work with the utmost respect and humility. During the engagement meetings held in Barriere in May 2024, we have been speaking with and hearing from residents and community leaders about current health services in Barriere, planning that is underway for primary care and potential gaps and opportunities with the health services in the community. We appreciate the time people took to share their feedback.

We were pleased to have welcomed about 80 community members to the information sessions on May 9 and May 10, at the Senior’s Hall. At this session, people heard a presentation focusing on current health services in Barriere followed by table-top discussions to encourage more meaningful conversations between health leaders and community members.

Interior Health has also been meeting with other municipal leaders and health partners including the Simpcw First Nation, Division of Family Practice and BC Emergency Health Services.

What we heard:

• Community members have difficulty getting a primary care provider.

• There is a need for timely access to urgent and primary care services.

• People want to maintain and expand services like infusions, women’s health, mental health support, and virtual care options.

• There is a need to increase awareness of existing services and provide timely updates about changes at the health centre.

• Many people find it hard to navigate the health care system.

• Lack of transportation and highway driving risks are barriers to accessing care.

Moving forward:

• Access

o Planning is underway for the same-day access model for primary care.

o A third family physician is scheduled to start practicing in the spring, 2025.

o New funding is being made available that will support team-based care resources in the community such as physio and social work.

o Work with community and healthcare partners on innovative ways to improve communication about healthcare services and transportation.

• Service delivery

o Feedback from community engagement will be taken into consideration as we develop and evaluate the same-day primary care service model.

o Work with community partners on innovative ways to bridge the gap around transportation services and look at options for services to minimize travel.

Look for updates on this project page in the coming months. If you have questions, please email EngageIH@interiorhealth.ca

Kind regards,

The Project Team

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