The Williams Lake and District Credit Union Community Health Centre will be without its lead nurse practitioner.
Sandra Lachapelle will be leaving her practice as of Dec. 16.
“Sandi has been wonderful to work with and we’re sorry that she’s leaving her current position. She’s provided excellent care to patients in Williams Lake and we’re wishing her all the best,” said Berni Easson, Interior Health Services Administrator for Thompson Cariboo Rural.
“We are actively recruiting to fill the full-time nurse practitioner role so that there is support for the local patients.”
Easson said that that posting has just been recently posted and that they are hoping to have great candidates apply.
“Right now we’re working with our partners like the physician group as well to look at what we might need to do if we aren’t able to successfully recruit,” she added.
“So that work is underway right now and we’re in the midst of that discussion. Our goal is to be successful in nurse practitioner recruitment.”
Lachapelle declined to comment but said in a letter to patients that her decision to leave has not been made lightly as she has enjoyed working at the Health Centre.
“It has been my great pleasure to have provided you with health services in the past, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to meet some wonderful people throughout my years in practice,” Lachapelle wrote.
“Best wishes for a healthy future.”
Lachapelle is one of almost 70 nurse practitioners working across the Interior Health Authority.
“Usually for nurse practitioners, and this would apply to Sandi’s clinic as well, see about 600 patients,” Easson said.
“They’re very busy.”