BARRIE -- As health officials cut the ribbon on a new clinic, it puts them one step closer to bringing more accessible health care to people living in south Simcoe.

On Friday, RVH officially opened its outpatient clinics at the Rizzardo Health and Wellness Centre, which, according to RVH President and CEO Janice Skot, is good news for people living in both Innisfil and south Barrie.

"This is going to be an opportunity for children and adults to receive their care closer to home and avoid that highway traffic and highway travel up to RVH in the north part of Barrie," says Skot.

The clinic has been offering children and youth services since December. Over the past month, health officials have been slowly implementing more services to patients, the same outpatient services provided at RVH.

While the clinic is open, it's still not fully operational. Over the next few weeks, the outpatient clinic will gradually introduce more programs, including geriatrics and cardiorespiratory services.

For Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin, the clinic is a long time coming.

"This is a game-changer," she says. "These services being available right here in our own backyard is something we've only dreamed of for years."

However, Friday's official opening is part of a larger picture for the hospital. Officials are currently working on a plan to continue improving health care in Innisfil while alleviating congestion at RVH.

"Given the population growth in this area, we know the service we provide at RVH, while we hope they're exceptional; we do not have the capacity for the population growth that we're expecting," says Skot.

On average, patient visits at the hospital are exceeding more than 14,000 thousand trips annually, and that number is expected to grow.

Hospital officials are in the planning stages to build a health hub in the Innisfil area, which they hope will start to take shape over the next decade. While the location is still unknown, a handful of sites are being considered.

"We have highly ranked properties," says Skot. "Of course, we're examining all of them because they all have attributes and I hope in 2020 we'll be in a position to make that announcement."