Faced with demanding situations similar to those in other communities, especially in its rural areas, Chatham-Kent has received some good news with a series of fitness ads over the past year.
Through permanent or cellular facilities, patient access to care is essential, as well as the option to attract more professionals to the city.
More than two million Ontarians do not have a family doctor, leaving many regions facing a shortage of doctors.
In November, plans were announced to build a multimillion-dollar fitness center in Blenheim to help recruit doctors and equip them with several in one location.
About 21,000 citizens of Chatham-Kent, which includes Blenheim, do not have a family doctor, Cathy Smith, a spokeswoman for the newly formed Blenheim Medical Health Foundation, said at the time.
Blenheim Medical Center serves more than 5,600 patients, but Smith said the construction is “woefully insufficient in terms of length for any type of system that we’re going to implement. “
Dr. Andrew Lanz-O’Brien, a member of the base who works with four other doctors at the medical center, said existing facilities are limited.
“If we all tried to paint at the same time on the same day, we would run out of exam rooms,” he said.
The effort began with the acquisition of a 26,000-square-foot building at 2 Hyland Dr. , donated through local citizens Annie and Peter Timmermans.
“Now we can focus on raising cash for the renovation instead of raising cash to acquire the building,” Smith said.
Millions of dollars will be raised and construction is scheduled for 2025, he said.
The foundation aims to have diagnostic imaging systems such as X-rays and ultrasound, as well as laboratory, pharmacy and intellectual aptitude to complement more doctors.
Additional stages are planned for the center, with more structures and care providers.
Also in November, a new pop-up clinic was announced in Chatham. Provides care to others with symptoms of cough, cold, flu and other minor illnesses, especially those who do not have a family doctor.
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance has partnered with Chatham-Kent EMS to operate the Chatham-Kent Seasonal Care Clinic, from a mobile trailer near CKHA’s emergency department.
Dr. Peter MacKinnon, who worked with paramedic Amy Larsen at the clinic, said several points led to this first venture.
“There’s definitely a need for this in Chatham-Kent; 20 percent of the population doesn’t have a family doctor,” he said.
The clinic aims to ease some of the burden on the emergency department by treating “people who have nowhere else to go,” he added.
“I think it’s a wonderful little addition to our department,” Larsen said. “We’re looking to do new things to serve the network well and this is one way to do it. “»
When patients come to the emergency branch to check in, the triage nurse will let them know if the seasonal clinic is appropriate, so they don’t have to wait at the emergency branch.
Schedules vary from week to week. Check CKHA’s social media channels or ckha. on. ca for more details.
To the east, a new modular clinic opened in September in Bothwell.
CarePartners, which runs the facility with Erie St. Clair Home Community Care Support Services, held a special event in the community’s arena parking lot, where it is located.
While not a substitute for a number one care provider, the fully stocked clinic offers a wide diversity of services, from IV desires to wound care.
One full-time nurse and two part-time nurses work at the facility, which lasts 60 hours per week.
Jodi Phillips, vice president of care and patient experience at CarePartners, said Community Care Support Services conducts an assessment of the patient and then refers them to the clinic.
She said the clinic, which features patient and office space, is considered semi-permanent in that it could be towed to another location, but is a fixture of the area for the foreseeable future.
Phillips noted that the plans began more than a year ago and said CarePartners aims to provide care to centers in Ontario. The Bothwell site is the organization’s first modular clinic, resulting in cost savings.
“We are very proud of this new presence here in Bothwell,” he said. “And I look forward to continuing to expand connections in this community. “
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was also held in September for a new clinic run by a nurse practitioner in Wheatley, which faced a need after her family doctor retired.
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