News Archives - Centre de santé communautaire de l'Estrie

The East Region Virtual Care Clinic a convenient alternative to the emergency room!

The Centre de santé communautaire de l’Estrie is a proud partner of the Virtual Care Clinic. This practical and innovative solution allows individuals with or without a family doctor or nurse practitioner to receive timely healthcare by offering virtual appointments.

The Virtual Care Clinic can help if you have:

A skin problem?
A urinary tract infection?
A sore throat?
Another minor health problem?

The Clinic can assist with certain health problems online, but some health issues are better treated in person. Visit the Clinic’s website to learn more about which health concerns can be treated virtually.

Receive care today from the comfort of your home!

The East Region Virtual Care Clinic offers free services provided by Nurse Practitioners to residents of Eastern Ontario, with or without a Health Card. Consultations are available in English and French, 7 days a week from 1:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., including public holidays.

How to obtain an appointment:

Phone: Call 1-888-684-1999 starting at 9 a.m.

Online: Register on the website www.virtualcareontario.ca/?lang=en starting at 9 a.m.

It’s flu season!

Vaccination is the best defense against the spread of flu.

It’s more important than ever to get your flu shot. Get ahead of the game and plan to get your flu shot now. Call us to make an appointment with the nurse.

Flu is a serious infection that can result in severe complications. Nobody is safe from the flu. Your best means of defense against the flu is vaccination.

Vaccination is provided to our clients and is free of charge.

Getting vaccinated against the flu means protecting yourself!

For more details about the flu, please go to the MOHLTC Website and learn about the virus and recognize the symptoms.

Cornwall, April 18, 2024—From April 14 to April 20, 2024, in Canada, we celebrate National Volunteer Week. This year, we are highlighting the importance of each volunteer and each action and contribution they have made at a time when we need their support more than ever.

The Centre de santé communautaire de l’Estrie (CSCE) would like to acknowledge the work and immense contribution of our many volunteers. Thanks to their involvement in our communities, the CSCE is able to complete the offering of our services.

With the support of Health Promoters, some of our volunteers lead and support the exercise groups, walking clubs, and snowshoeing clubs. Another team of volunteers assists the Community Health Workers with the preparation and distribution of Green Food Box Program. The Primary Health Team in Cornwall also receives help from volunteers during our annual flu vaccination clinics.

Lucie and Francine, two volunteers responsible for the exercise groups, state: “We are happy to offer exercise classes for the elderly. Many participants arrive 30 minutes before class starts to socialize together. Each participant tells their story, one more interesting than the other. We are rewarded by the smiles and confidences of the people present. We are proud of the joy, comfort, and above all, the improvement in health that we bring to our group.”

For Emilie Duquette, Community Health Worker responsible for the Embrun and North Stormont Green Food Box program: “The invaluable commitment of volunteers ensures the smooth running and continuity of the Green Food Box. Every month, volunteers prepare and distribute more than 250 boxes to various Green Food Box sites managed by the CSCE. Thanks to their hard work and valuable contribution, the Green Food Box has been very successful over the last few years, and the precious involvement of volunteers is felt in every aspect of the program.”

Emilie Duquette, Community Health Worker at CSCE, as well as Eva, Toni, and Nicole, our Green Food Box volunteers in Embrun.

In the photo: Emilie Duquette, Community Health Worker at CSCE, as well as Eva, Toni, and Nicole, our Green Food Box volunteers in Embrun.

The CSCE is always looking for volunteers.

Would you like to get involved in your community? Here’s how to become a volunteer for the Centre de santé communautaire de l’Estrie (CSCE). Check the following link.

Note that:

Clients currently receiving primary health care at the Centre de santé communautaire de l’Estrie (CSCE) can use this platform to book appointments. This service will not work for people who are not registered with the CSCE.
Appointments booked are for the care of our physicians and nurse practitioners in person in our offices. If you would like to discuss more than one health problem, please report it at the beginning of the appointment so that we can determine together what can be treated during the appointment.
Appointments posted are seven days or more away. If you want an appointment more quickly or if your health concern is not appropriate for this service, please call our secretariat.

Please select your site below to make an appointment:

Cornwall, January 26, 2023 – Since the beginning of January, the Centre de santé communautaire de l’Estrie (CSCE) is doing its part to reduce overcrowding in emergency room by offering more availability to its primary health clients for urgent or semi-urgent appointments through the “NP Emergency Clinic Project”.

These emergency appointments, which are mostly virtual or by telephone, are available to all CSCE primary health clients, regardless of where they normally receive services. For example, a client from the Embrun CSCE with sinusitis symptoms may access to a virtual emergency appointment with a nurse practitioner (NP) located the Cornwall CSCE.

Usually, appointments are available on Mondays and Fridays, and sometimes even on weekends. It is also important to note that some consultation reasons require an in-person visit. If necessary, at the request of the NP, clients will be asked to go to their local CSCE site to provide a sample or to complete a test.

We would like to extend a warm thank you to the four CSCE nurse practitioners who responded to the call to provide more availability for these emergency appointments, and better meet the needs of underserved communities in Eastern Ontario.

Photo: Marie-Eve Poliquin, Nurse Practitioner at Cornwall CSCE

Cornwall, January 24, 2023 – In recent weeks, the Centre de santé communautaire de l’Estrie (CSCE) has been recognizing the exceptional contribution of its volunteers from each of its sites. Whether through programs such as the Green Food Box, vaccination clinics or ongoing involvement in exercise or recreational activities, the CSCE volunteers are an endless source of solidarity and compassion for the communities of Eastern Ontario.

In appreciation of their time and dedication to the well-being of the community, the CSCE’s Community Health Team hosted several events in December and January, highlighted by expressions of appreciation, team-building activities and door prizes. In all, more than 30 CSCE volunteers were honoured during these events.

For Marc Therrien, Manager of Community Health and Mental Health Programs at the CSCE, it was essential to recognize the contribution of our volunteers following the pandemic: “It’s so nice to see you in person, finally! This event is an important step as we return to a more normal life that we enjoyed so much before the COVID-19 crisis. To maintain good community health, we need vibrant relationships that keep us going. Thank you to all the volunteers working at CSCE and keep it up!”

An integral part of the CSCE’s successes, the talent, time and energy that these persons devote to volunteering enhance the quality of the services offered. CSCE’s volunteers provide precious support for many programs and activities, including:

Vaccination clinics
Cards/knitting/sandbag clubs
Community gardens
Support groups
Green Food Box program
Exercise programs/badminton/walking clubs

Click here to learn more.

Pictures of the Activities

Volunteer Recognition held on December 7 at the Cornwall CSCE:

Volunteer Recognition held on December 7 at the Cornwall CSCE

Volunteer Recognition held on December 21 at the Bourget CSCE:

Volunteer Recognition held on January 18 at the Crysler CSCE:

Volunteer Recognition held on January 18 at the Crysler CSCE

Since January, the Centre de santé communautaire de l’Estrie (CSCE) operate a WALK-IN or BY APPOINTMENT Clinical Assessment Centre (CAC) for respiratory illnesses at its Bourget location (2081 Laval Street). The clinic is open every Sunday and is only for the evaluation of respiratory illnesses for the population of Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry, Prescott and Russell, without age restrictions.

Whether or not you are a client at the CSCE, you can call 1-888-235-0577 on the day of the clinic to book an appointment or walk-in at the Bourget CSCE on Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The staff assesses respiratory symptoms, orders tests as needed (blood tests, X-rays, various samples for influenza or COVID-19, etc.), and then prescribes medication if needed. A follow-up is made by phone for all clients who test positive or negative.

The clinic operates on a first-come, first-served basis. However, it is also possible to call 1-888-235-0577 on the day of the clinic to book an appointment. When the day’s capacity is reached, people are referred to other services.

It is important to note that this clinic focuses on respiratory illnesses only. Community members without any of the symptoms listed below will be redirected. The clinic will not accept clients living in the urban Ottawa area, as equivalent services are available in their community.

The Centre de santé communautaire de l’Estrie is doing its part to reduce overcrowding in emergency room by offering this clinic to underserved communities in Eastern Ontario. We would like to extend a warm thank you to all those who responded to the call to provide these clinical assessment services at our Bourget location.

Clinical Assessment Centre (CAC) – What do you need to know before visiting?

What is a clinical assessment centre (CAC)?

A clinical assessment centre is a medical clinic that can test, assess, and provide treatment for people with COVID-19 and other cold and flu-like illnesses.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19 and other cold and flu-like illnesses?

Below are some of the symptoms you may have when you have COVID-19 or other cold and flu-like illnesses:

Fever or chills
Cough (not related to other causes such as allergies)
Difficulty breathing
Decreased or loss of taste or smell
Runny nose or nasal congestion
Headache
Extreme tiredness
Sore throat
Muscle aches or joint pain
Gastrointestinal symptoms (such as vomiting or diarrhea)
Abdominal pain (not related to other causes)
Pink eye (not related to other causes)

When should I visit a clinical assessment centre (CAC)?

Call your primary care provider (family doctor or nurse practitioner) first if you or your child have the symptoms above and feel that you need medical care.

Your primary care provider will give you advice about what to do next. This may include:

Caring for yourself or your child at home
Seeing your primary care provider either virtually or in-person
Going to a clinical assessment centre

Consider visiting a clinical assessment centre if:

You do not have a primary care provider
Your symptoms or your child’s symptoms are getting worse or are not improving, and you feel that you need medical care
You have been told by any health professional to go to a clinical assessment centre
You are at high risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 and you qualify for COVID-19 testing and treatment

You can also consider contacting Health Connect Ontario or a walk-in clinic. At Health Connect Ontario, you can get advice from a nurse at any time of day by calling 811 or by online chat at ontario.ca/HealthConnectOntario.

You might also find this tip sheet made by family doctors helpful. It provides tips on deciding when to seek care for a child with respiratory illness and how to support your child at home.

Will I get antiviral treatment if I have COVID-19?

Antiviral treatment is available for people who are at high risk of getting very sick from COVID-19. Use this screener to see if you are eligible: ontario.ca/covid-treatment-screener.

If you are eligible and think you might have COVID-19, don’t delay. You will need to start treatment within 5 days. Call your primary care provider, go to a clinical assessment centre, or contact Health Connect Ontario by calling 811 or by online chat at ontario.ca/HealthConnectOntario.

When do I need to go to the emergency department?

If you or your child develop severe symptoms, call 911 or go to the emergency department.

For adults, severe symptoms include:

Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Loss of consciousness
Confusion

For children, severe symptoms include:

Working hard or straining to breathe – for example, the lower chest is moving in more than normal when the child breathes, the child is grunting, or the child’s nostrils are flaring
Bluish skin
Unable to breastfeed or drink
Very sleepy or difficult to wake
Peeing less than usual
Fever with rash
Seizures or convulsions
Fever in an infant younger than 3 months

If you are worried your child is seriously ill, call 911 or go to the emergency department.

Did you know that most respiratory illness, including colds, influenza, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and COVID-19, can be managed at home without the need for prescription medications?

The Government of Ontario is sharing the following resources regarding respiratory illnesses:

Please consult the links below for more information:

Family Doctor Tips on Caring for Children with Respiratory Symptoms

Click here to read family doctors tips on how to decide when to seek care for a respiratory illness and how to support your child at home (source: Ontario College of Family Physicians).

If you have trouble obtaining pediatric acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil), it is possible to prepare appropriate doses for a child with adult tablets. Please consult your pharmacy or health professional at your next appointment.

Cornwall, December 5, 2022 | After two years in virtual mode, the Centre de santé communautaire de l’Estrie (CSCE) was very excited to finally hold its annual auction in person on Thursday, December 1 at the Bonnie Glen Pavilion in Alexandria. This fundraising event, which is particularly important to our clients during these difficult times, allowed our employees and board members to raise a whopping $11,326, helping more than 140 families.

For almost 20 years now, the employees at the CSCE have held this annual auction to raise funds for clients who face financial challenges. 75% of the money raised will be used to buy gift cards, which will be distributed to individuals and families living in our communities. We are so pleased that this initiative can bring some solace to those in need during the holidays throughout the counties of Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry, Prescott and Russell. The remaining 25% is reserved for needs that may occur throughout the year.

Congratulations and a sincere thank you to all those who made this fundraiser a huge success!