Some Nurse Practitioners in Manitoba are now making home visits for a fee.

A Timely Care Clinic opened March 1st in Winnipeg. Diane Gudmundson is one of four Nurse Practitioners who works out of this Clinic on Corydon. She services Steinbach, Ste.Anne and Richer in addition to southeast Winnipeg. Gudmundson says they are trying to be flexible and if they notice a growing need in a particular community, might expand to that area.

(Diane Gudmundson)She says their Clinic is really a virtual hub. Nurse Practitioners can offer services on the fly. They keep their bags and kits in their vehicles and by using their laptop can provide everything on the go.

According to Gudmundson, the four Nurse Practitioners are not employed by the Timely Care Clinic. They are each independent, running their own business. Gudmundson refers to her business as NP On Wheels. In this way, they are contracted by the Timely Care Clinic.

House visits cost about $80 each and Gudmundson says they cover everything from urgent care to routine physicals. That includes dealing with ear and sinus infections, drawing blood and stitches. They also offer virtual video service for $40.

Gudmundson says there is a lot of dissatisfaction among Nurse Practitioners in Manitoba. She notes they are unhappy because they have been boxed into unionized roles, having their skills and creativity limited.

"As a Nurse Practitioner who has been around for many years, I have actually approached Manitoba Health to consider alternate funding models for Nurse Practitioners in Manitoba," says Gudmundson. "There is such need outside of our boxed-in union positions. So I had looked into that numerous times and was declined."

And Gudmundson says because there is no alternate funding available for a Nurse Practitioner to provide a service outside the union position, she has to charge the patient privately. That fee covers the Nurse Practitioner's time.

"So all of the other things that would be included in your normal health care, which would be a blood test, various other tests, scans, CT's, ultrasounds, all of the other things that we arrange, referral to specialists, that's all included in the health care system," she says. "The only thing that's not paid for by Manitoba Health is our time because we are outside of the union model."

But Gudmundson says it is her feeling, this will change over time.

"The only option to be a catalyst for change was to jump out and do something like this," she says. "Because change wouldn't occur otherwise."

Gudmundson says as Nurse Practitioners for the Timely Care Clinic, they are a full prescriber of medication. She says they have the same type of role as a family doctor, but it is her opinion they can do more than a family doctor. Whether it is diagnosing, prescribing medication, giving vaccinations or ordering lab and diagnostics, Gudmundson says they can do it all.

Having only started March 1st, Gudmundson says they are slowly getting busier. But she says since news broke of their opening, roughly one-quarter of the province's Nurse Practitioners have inquired about working for them.

Gudmundson says over the years she has seen poor care in Manitoba's health system, poor access and people not getting the service they require.

"There has been a large need for more services offered at home and at peoples' convenience," shares Gudmundson. "It has not been an option until now for people."

For more information call 1-844-765-5569 or check out www.timelycareclinic.com. Gudmundson says she is on call 12 hours per day, 7 days a week.