A new clinic's been opened for about a month in Woodlands. Interlake-Eastern RHA Nurse practitioner Tammy Hagyard-Wiebe shares how it's fared so far.

"A month ago we started. It  was a little bit slow in the beginning, but we're starting to pick up. Word has gotten out now that I'm here one day a week. Unfortunately it is only one day a week. I think the community could probably use more. I've noticed that, because there's been some local physicians and family physicians that have retired recently. So, there's a few patients who don't have a primary care provider."

She notes clinic activity is picking up.

"Things are starting to pick up Wednesdays, but there is a bit of back and forth. St. Laurent patients can see me here and Woodlands patients come to see me in St. Laurent. It's not like they're only allowed to go to Woodlands clinic if they live in the Woodlands/Warren area. So, they can go back and forth. And that's what's happened all along, anyway. A lot of the Woodlands patients would come and see me in St. Laurent."

Hagyard-Wiebe shares how people have responded.

"They're very happy that I'm here one day a week, because it's much more convenient. But it's good for the elderly where transportation's an issue. Either they can't drive or they have to find someone to drive them. And it's difficult for some people that are isolated. For a few of them, they can just walk to me instead of driving, or finding someone to drive them. They like the convenience, of course."

She adds they're accepting walk-in patients for the time being, but that may change.

"Ideally we like appointments to be made. At this point I have time for walk-ins. Its' just a matter of educating the public that it's a primary care facility and clinic. But I also do walk-ins if I have time, and if we can squeeze people in. It'll pick up, I'm sure. St. Laurent has picked up immensely in the year that I've been there. I'm extremely busy in that clinic. So, I didn't expect anything different from here."

Hagyard-Wiebe says she thinks the public's pretty clear on what NP's can and can't do, so she's hopeful it'll go well in Woodlands.