New mobile clinic opens in Downtown Halifax

If you stroll down Dresden Row in downtown Halifax, you may notice a new medical clinic called Citadel Health Home. During the day, this clinic sees patients connected to one of their physicians or nurse practitioners. But after hours, it transforms into a Nova Scotia Health mobile primary care clinic that operates on specific days, and all are welcome.  

This new location has opened with a goal of providing convenient, timely access to non-urgent medical care.  

“We know people can’t always wait to see their own family doctor or nurse practitioner,” said Jasmine Asad, a primary healthcare manager with Nova Scotia Health. “And sometimes they need to be seen in-person instead of virtually. Our clinic gives people on the peninsula another option for timely in-person care for common health concerns, right in their community.”  

Mobile primary care clinics are designed to address non-urgent health issues, including prescription renewals, minor respiratory symptoms, sore throats, earaches, rashes, headaches, vomiting and diarrhea, urinary tract infections, fever, cold or flu.  

They cannot order bloodwork or diagnostic imaging such as X-rays and ultrasounds, provide immunizations, or complete medical forms. And this is not an emergency service – anyone experiencing a medical emergency should call 911 or go to their closest emergency department.  

Despite the name, most mobile clinics now take place in existing clinics and buildings, not in mobile vehicles. The clinics are “mobile” because they pop up wherever there is a community need.

At your appointment, staff will check you in and give you an approximate appointment time. All you need to do is show up with your Nova Scotia health card and a list of any medications you’re on.  

“Our team is committed to meeting people where they are, and making sure they receive safe, respectful care when they walk through our doors,” said Asad.

To learn more about mobile primary care clinics and see upcoming dates, visit: https://www.nshealth.ca/mobileprimarycareclinics  

Photo of the exterior of the Citadel Health Home.