Since June 2020, Collingwood Neighbourhood House (CNH) has offered health care to residents of Renfrew-Collingwood through RISE Community Health Centre. Using a team-based approach that recognizes the social determinants of health, RISE operates a primary care clinic and not-for-profit pharmacy. Additional services include harm reduction, community development and health promotion.
We share some highlights from staff about their experiences working with RISE and what makes it different from traditional healthcare providers.
Meet Vanessa, RISE nurse practitioner
Before Vanessa McMahon started her role as a nurse practitioner at RISE, she spent 18 years working as a registered nurse. When she returned to school to study in her new field, working at RISE was part of her student placement three years ago. For Vanessa, it was “such a positive and supportive experience” that she decided to stay.
Tell us about your experience at RISE.
“In my previous work at BC Children’s Hospital, I was part of team-based care. When I came here, it was very similar. It felt like home for me in the sense that I love working in a group setting with multi-disciplinary input, especially when you’re dealing with complex cases and individuals, to not feel like you’re by yourself and you can lean on the expertise of your colleagues. I also find the camaraderie, the open-mindedness of the staff and the accepting nature of the work environment here to be wonderful.”
Has anything surprised you about working here?
“I don’t know if there are necessarily surprises. I think it’s been interesting. We’ve had a few other students come through since I graduated. What I say to all of those students is that they are going to have a wide breadth of experience here, which is so fascinating. Every day is very different. You get exposed to the full scope of primary care practice, so it’s a wonderful place to get that generalized experience.”
And that’s what makes RISE unique for a healthcare setting.
“Yeah.”
RISE is currently hiring. Who do you think should apply to work here?
“I think somebody who comes from a social justice lens, somebody who takes the social determinants of health seriously, somebody who likes to work in that team-based environment and someone who is curious, willing to learn.”
What are some highlights of working with clients at RISE, especially with such a big range of clients?
“Because we do outreach visits to supportive housing units, trying to reduce those barriers to accessing care. And, over the last few years, through relationship building, I feel like I’ve had great satisfaction when there have been clients who haven’t engaged in their own health for decades, who are now feeling safe enough to do so. There are those occasions where you realize, they’re coming for their appointments. We’ve developed that trust and that relationship with somebody who may have had terrible experiences in the past.”
Is there anything else you would want other healthcare professionals to know about working at RISE?
“It’s a very supported environment. Because we can deal with more challenging and complex social and health issues, it truly is a very supportive environment. You’re not going to be on your own, you’re not going to be figuring out these complexities in isolation. I’d say that the big take-home message is just teamwork.”
Learn more about career opportunities at RISE Community Health Centre at cnh.bc.ca/careers.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.