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About our Clinic |
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We have been called the ‘Little Clinic that Could’
and we certainly did! We were
established in 1994 by a group of dedicated area residents and have been in
operation for 17 years. The first 12
years was through the tireless efforts of volunteers. The building which houses our Clinic was, at one
time, the only bank in Bear River.
When the Royal Bank of Canada closed this branch, the building was
offered to the community for a nominal fee.
A well-attended public meeting was held and it was determined that we
would develop a Community Health Clinic with emphasis on illness prevention
and health promotion. That emphasis
has never wavered. A needs assessment
was conducted and the three most necessary services were identified by area
residents. The main thing they focused
on was a community doctor. This was
implemented early on. Other needs
identified were foot care and a dentistry. A dentist has never materialized, but the Clinic
has had various professionals on site providing foot care. We have also, over the years, had several
other professionals and workshops on location. In 1997, the Clinic was dedicated to Dr. D. S.
Brennan who has since passed on. Dr.
Brennan was a long-time family physician in the village of Bear River. Among many adversities this organization has faced
and overcome, the greatest by far was the devastating fire on March 27,
2006. As evidence of the strength and
determination of the community and the Clinic’s board of Directors, the day
after the fire, patients of Dr. P. Goddard (who held office hours on
Wednesdays at the Clinic for 12 years) were being notified that he would see
them the next day at the Health Centre on the nearby First Nations
Reservation. October 2, 2006 saw the doors reopen to our
Clinic. Renovations have been
completed and a full time Administrative Coordinator is on location. On the outside, the building looks much as
it did before the fire. Inside,
however, is a different matter. Board
members, under the direction of Chairperson Judith Isles did a wonderful job
of taking advantage of this tragedy to improve the layout of the Health
Clinic. The Board of Directors of the Bear River and Area
Community Health Clinic would like to express a heartfelt thank you to the
many individuals and organizations who, over the years, have helped out in
many ways. They would also like to
take this opportunity to invite you to visit our Clinic if you have never
been in. We offer ongoing programs and services to meet the
needs of residents of Bear River and surrounding areas. Check out our site to see if there is
something of interest to you or your family.
If you have any suggestions for programming, please let us know. |