How can I take care of my whole self and access health and wellbeing care on Mayne?

Self-care is defined as taking care of your mind, body and soul – your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of your life — to promote health and wellness. Taking care of yourself every day means eating nutritious food, moving your body and taking care of your mind and soul’s wellbeing. The goal is to find out what works best for you.

Respondents to the 2022 Mayne Island health and wellness survey shared that living on Mayne contributes greatly to feelings of wellbeing because we are surrounded by such natural beauty and not the fast pace of the city. “Nature therapy” comes free and is abundantly available to us here on the island! Being in nature intentionally in a mindful way, getting out of your head and connecting with your body and the land, has numerous proven health benefits including enhancing the immune system and improving mood.

At the recent Health and Wellness Fair on Mayne attendees were introduced to a huge range of holistic wellbeing services and offerings from skilled and passionate on-island therapists, wellbeing experts, exercise consultants, healthful nutrition programs, mindfulness facilitators, mental health professionals, yoga teachers, a naturopathic doctor and local health and wellbeing businesses.

We have an abundance of wellbeing offerings on the island. You can find information about the range of offerings through the Mayneliner, the Mayne Island phone book, the calendar at the Community Centre and in the Access to Care Roadmap on the Mayne Island Health Centre Association website. The goal is to figure out what self-care works best for you and incorporate those strategies into your daily life.

Accessing a family medicine healthcare provider

For most people the first point of contact with the health care system is a primary health care provider. A long-term primary care provider, such as a family medicine physician or nurse practitioner, can be an important link for you and your family’s healthful living.

However, it’s not hard to notice that accessing  primary care free from fees or payment for many in BC has become difficult due to an unprecedented shortage of healthcare professionals. One in five people in BC do not have a family medicine provider. We know this experience on Mayne. However, there are ways to get care when you need it.

Firstly, always call 911 if you or a family member is experiencing a crisis health issue. We have an incredible Emergency Medical Services team here on Mayne Island, truly something to be grateful for. A heartfelt thank you to our EMS providers.

Secondly, if you are not attached to a family medicine physician or nurse practitioner, on- or off-island, register for access to a provider through the Health-connect-registry or call 811 for assistance to do so.

Until the Health Centre hires an additional family medicine physician and/or a nurse practitioner (we have budget for both and are actively recruiting), walk-in urgent care is not possible at the clinic. If you are not attached to the health centre as a patient, you can access telehealth.

Many islanders are managing to navigate the varied telehealth services available, albeit not without some frustration. With some patience however, many are figuring out how to best navigate this kind of remote access.

Check out the Access to care Roadmap on the Mayne Island Health Centre Association website for work-around tips and advice on the best telehealth options for you.

For urgent care access try Saanich Peninsula Hospital emergency department during the day. As a community hospital serving the peninsula and the islands, the team is sensitive to islanders’ needs. As well, some of the primary care urgent care clinics in Victoria will pre-book islanders. Again, the details are in the Roadmap.

We also have two naturopathic primary care doctors on the island who provide holistic naturopathic care for a fee. Check out the Mayne Island phone book, the Mayneliner, and the Access to Care Roadmap for further details.  

Preventative Cancer Screening

The BC Cancer agency has a comprehensive screening program which can be accessed through screening navigators who will help assess your risk. Criteria is available at http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/screening/breast/who-should-screen. The self-referral screening is for breast, cervix, colon and lung. There are other self-referral cancer screening programs such as prostate health.

Abbie Hain, Health Centre Association (Published in the MayneLiner June 2024 in the Community Lifelines)