Congratulations are in order to the staff, board, and community members and partners of Gateway Community Health Centre, on the opening of their expanded and renovated space in Tweed.
On November 26, local leaders, partners, community members, clients as well as staff and service providers gathered to mark the milestone for the centre, which opened its doors to Tweed and the surrounding communities in 1991.
“This is a significant milestone for Gateway Community Health Centre and for the communities we serve, which will ensure care close to home will be here when you need us,” said Gateway CHC's Board President William Bissett, leader of the community-governed board that helps guide Gateway's decision-making and strategic planning.
The project, which was many years in the making, was formally approved by the Ministry of Health's Capital Branch in late 2017. The new centre is greatly expanded from its initial building, and renovations and transformation of spaces were made throughout.
Gateway's Executive Director, Lyn Linton, expressed gratefulness and excitement about what the new spaces will enable for staff and community working together:
"We are so grateful to have this new building to do what we do best – deliver the highest quality of primary health care to our clients and the communities we serve," Linton said. "The building is a visual commitment that health and care close to home is a key ingredient to a vibrant community. Communities that invest and partner together to support all stages of life build a safe and caring environment where everyone is valued and belongs."
Meghan Perrin, Resource Policy Lead at the Alliance for Healthier Communities, was on hand to help celebrate and cut the ribbon on Gateway's big day, too. As someone who worked as a health promoter in a rural setting herself prior to joining the Alliance, Perrin was keen to the possibility she sees in the new facility, and also highlighted the innovations and leadership the centre has shown in primary health care.
"Gateway’s excellence in expanding access for oral health care, social prescribing, crisis intervention, as well as the breadth of health promotion programs you offer have been invaluable contributions towards building stronger and healthier communities and a more inclusive society in Rural Hastings,” Perrin said. “CHC spaces like this one support better access to primary care, but they also importantly create a space for social inclusion, foster a sense of belonging and address underlying determinants of health.”
