On Wednesday, March 16 the Wellness Centre at the South Centre Mall officially opened.
The Wellness Centre has been up and running for a couple of months now, but this was the official grand opening for Capital Health, the media, and the general public.
I was able to get a sneak peek at the centre the day before the opening, as I reported on it for CBC Radio news. The tour was courtesy of Lynn Headley and Margaret Merlin of Capital Health.
The centre is very bright and airy and the lobby in particular seems open and professional.
The centre gathers together a number of services under the same roof: Dalhousie’s family medicine clinic, addictions and mental health, the community health team, and Chebucto Connections, the local volunteer/development agency.
The agencies are all strengthened by being close to one another…so close, in fact, that they are even able to share the same lunchroom, which works out for brainstorming. “I can’t tell you how much that lunchroom has done for us,” Lynn told me.
Here are a few key people you might want to contact at the Wellness Centre. You can call ahead or just drop in to the centre, which is between Lawton’s and Dollarama.
-Caroline Kerr, community health team (Caroline can help you connect with free services like exercise, nutrition, and educational programs…her team is supposed to help you figure out how to take better control of your health)
-Gordon Power, addictions services
-Cheryl Billard, mental health services
-Marjorie Willison, volunteering and community involvement with Chebucto Connections
