CareMed Wellness Clinic: Bridging the gap between hospital and home
Located within the Covenant Community Health Centre, CareMed Wellness Clinic brings a unique perspective to integrated health care. Founded by registered nurse Karm Cheema and pharmacist Janak Patel, the clinic addresses a critical gap that both healthcare professionals have witnessed repeatedly throughout their careers: the challenging transition patients face when moving between hospital and home care.
A nurse's perspective on healthcare gaps
Karm’s journey into healthcare entrepreneurship began with firsthand experience in Alberta's healthcare system. Working in acute and palliative care as a registered nurse at both the Royal Alexandra Hospital and Grey Nuns Community Hospital, Karm developed deep expertise in nursing while also building her own company on the side.
"I worked in hospitals as an acute care nurse for a few years, but I was also doing home care as my own company," says Karm.
This dual perspective gave Karm unique insight into a persistent problem in healthcare delivery.
"I knew there was a gap between the care a patient received in the hospital and when they were discharged,” says Karm.
When the opportunity arose to join the Covenant Community Health Centre, Karm recognized the potential for a more comprehensive solution.
"When I heard about this new health centre, I saw the opportunity right away," says Karm. "I could see where my referrals could come from because patients would already be coming to the centre and we could provide them all the services under one roof."
Personal loss drives professional mission
Karm's commitment to bridging the hospital-to-home care gap stems from profound personal experience. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, her father passed away after spending time in the hospital.
"My dad passed away during COVID. He was in the hospital, but at the end, we got him home, and that's where we took care of him, where he could be more comfortable," Karm says.
That experience crystallized an important realization about healthcare delivery.
"I figured out that the hospital is not always the best place for healing,” says Karm. “Yes, it's a place for treatment, but not for healing or not for the quality of life that people want at the end."
This understanding shaped the entire philosophy behind CareMed Wellness Clinic. As a palliative nurse who has provided extensive end-of-life care, Karm knows that healing requires more than medical intervention. It requires comfort, familiarity and comprehensive support.
"When we walk into this centre, we know this is what our community and these neighbourhoods need,” she says. “And not just for people dealing with health issues, but for prevention as well."
Three branches of integrated care
CareMed Wellness Clinic organizes its services under three integrated branches, each addressing different aspects of the healthcare continuum.
Nurse-led community clinic
At the core of CareMed's model is the nurse-led community clinic. This branch focuses on ongoing health management, prevention and continuity of care, bridging the gap between hospital discharge and long-term wellness. Services begin with clinic-based registered nurse assessments, monitoring and care planning. From there, they may extend to home-based nursing and support as needed.
Medical intravenous services
CareMed provides physician-directed intravenous therapies, including iron, antibiotic and biologic infusions, delivered by experienced infusion nurses in a comfortable clinic setting. The team handles all necessary co-ordination and patient onboarding to ensure a smooth treatment experience.
Regenerative and longevity care
Under appropriate medical oversight, CareMed offers regenerative and longevity-focused therapies, including wellness intravenous drips, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments and specialized protocols for cancer recovery and menopause support. This branch reflects CareMed's commitment to proactive, whole-person wellness beyond traditional medical care.
This integrated approach allows CareMed to serve patients across the entire wellness spectrum, from acute medical needs to preventive care and long-term health optimization.
A partnership built on complementary expertise
The collaboration between Karm Cheema and Janak Patel brings together nursing and pharmacy expertise in a way that strengthens both disciplines. Having known each other through common professional connections, they recognized an opportunity to create something greater than either could build alone.
The partnership began with the CareMed Infusion Clinic on Ellerslie Road in Edmonton, which established their model for providing physician-prescribed intravenous therapies in a comfortable, nurse-led community setting.
"The infusion clinic we started has been doing great,” says Karm. “But Janak and I saw the synergies of merging multiple healthcare services together."
Now, at the Covenant Community Health Centre, CareMed Wellness Clinic brings all its services together under one roof, creating a comprehensive wellness destination that serves the diverse needs of the Mill Woods community.
Partners Karm Cheema and Janak Patel at the Covenant Community Health Centre
Serving a mature, growing community
The location in Lakewood holds particular significance for CareMed's mission. The neighbourhood represents one of Edmonton's most established communities with a significant senior population that requires exactly the kind of integrated services CareMed provides.
The demographics align perfectly with CareMed's service offerings. Seniors often have complex medical needs requiring skilled nursing care, intravenous treatments for chronic conditions and preventive wellness services to maintain their health and independence.
"We are combining a wide variety of services that benefit seniors all under one roof,” says Karm.
This comprehensive approach means patients can access multiple services during a single visit, reducing transportation barriers and improving care co-ordination.
A healing atmosphere
What excites Karm most about the Covenant Community Health Centre is how fundamentally different it feels from a traditional hospital environment. The building's design, atmosphere and integrated model create a healing environment rather than a clinical one.
"I worked in the hospital,” says Karm. “I know the environment itself can be very stressful for some people. This building has much more of a healing-focused atmosphere.”
Karm particularly admires the cardiac rehabilitation centre located in the building, having personally known patients with chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease who would benefit tremendously from such a welcoming, well-equipped space.
"I love the cardiac rehab centre," she says. "The open space and natural light feel very welcoming. This is what rehabilitation should look like."
Karm Cheema and members of the CareMed Wellness Clinic staff
Navigation and holistic support
Through her extensive home care experience, Karm has identified patient navigation as one of the most critical gaps in healthcare delivery. Patients often feel lost after discharge, unsure of what steps to take next or where to turn for help.
"I would go into people's homes who were discharged or who were experiencing chronic illness, not just seniors but a broad spectrum of ages. I saw it all the time — they just didn’t know what to do next," says Karm.
When a patient is discharged from an acute care site and faces a problem, they can end up back in the emergency department if they don’t get clear guidance and accessible support.
"That's where our company comes into place," says Karm. "We want to give people a holistic wellness approach, and we want to support them so that they don't end up going back to the hospital after they get discharged."
CareMed provides that crucial navigation support, giving patients a phone number to call and access to nurses who can come to their home to provide education, hands-on care and reassurance.
A model for the future
Karm views the Covenant Community Health Centre as a prototype for how health care should be delivered across Alberta. The integrated model addresses systemic problems that have plagued healthcare delivery for decades.
"I really wish we had more of these sites. I know this is the first of its kind, and I hope that we see more of these centres integrated into Alberta’s healthcare system," says Karm.
The concept of bringing prevention, treatment and wellness services together in one accessible community location represents a fundamental shift in thinking about healthcare delivery.
Karm and her team are excited to demonstrate how nurse-led, community-based care can transform patient outcomes while reducing the burden on acute care facilities.
"All my nurse friends are very excited that I'm now part of the Covenant Community Health Centre," says Karm.
For patients in Mill Woods and southeast Edmonton, CareMed Wellness Clinic represents a new kind of healthcare experience where the gap between hospital and home is bridged, where prevention matters as much as treatment and where healing happens in an environment designed for wellness.
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