Burns Lake, B.C.-  When 2014 arrives, Lakes District  patients will have increased access to health care as a new nurse practitioners clinic at the Lakes District Hospital and Health Centre  opens.

(at right, Nurse Practitioners Beth Berlin and Ann Desrosiers -photo courtesy Northern Health)

Nurse Practitioners are Registered Nurses with a Master’s degree in Advanced Practice. They can see patients for acute issues like a cold or injury, follow patients with chronic health issues like diabetes or high blood pressure, provide prenatal care, and provide check-ups and physical exams. Nurse Practitioners refer to physicians and specialists when appropriate and can serve as a Primary Health Care Provider.

Nurse practitioner clinics have been provided in Granisle and Southside for the past four years. With the addition of a second nurse practitioner to the area, there was an opportunity to expand the service into Burns Lake three days a week.

“Nurse Practitioners are bridging the gap between the old and the new. They will be delivering services that are rooted in the principles of Primary Health Care,” said Marie Hunter, Northern Health’s Health Service Administrator. “What a wonderful addition to the existing health programs in this area.”

Both of the Nurse Practitioners are residents of the Lakes District.

Beth Berlin, Family Nurse Practitioner, has been practicing in the area for four years. Beth and her family have lived in the area for over ten years. Anne Desrosiers has just moved to the community and is a new graduate of the University of British Columbia's Nurse Practitioner Program. She has six years of nursing experience and is very excited about her new practice here.