Encinitas’ NCHS upgrades expected to help patient experience

ENCINITAS — Patients at a regional health clinic that specializes in services for low-income families, expecting mothers and children are set to receive a much better health care experience.

North County Health Services recently completed a significant renovation of its Encinitas Branch, and invited the public to tour the facility this week.

Among the most significant upgrades is an increase in the number of examination rooms for women and families by a factor of two, officials said. By doubling the examination rooms, patients will see shorter wait times and more doctor availability, said Cindy Landrigan, the office manager of the family and women’s services clinic.

“It will help us accommodate more patients and more providers,” Landrigan said. “It’s great, I love it and I love that the patients are happy with it.”

North County Health Services are one of several regional clinics that safety net of healthcare services for the region’s low-income and working poor residents. In 2011, the clinic served 57,000 low-income residents at its 10 locations.

Landrigan said that before the renovation, the clinic was only able to house one full-time doctor and a part-time nurse practitioner.

Adding the additional rooms has allowed the clinic to bring on the nurse practitioner full time, as well as bring in a gynecologist more frequently during the week.

In addition to the creation of new examination rooms, all of the clinic’s existing offices and exam rooms received updates, including one of the rooms where providers perform a non-surgical female sterilization procedure known as the Essure procedure. The Encinitas clinic is the only of North County Health Service’s 10 locations to offer the procedure.

The renovation took around nine months to complete, Landrigan said.