Tag: members in the media

Midland Today Published an article February 23, 2023

North Simcoe Family Health Team urges residents to contact MPP about ‘highly needed’ service.

Due to the rising numbers of respiratory illnesses in our region, the North Simcoe Family Health Team (NSFHT) opened the COVID-19, Cold and Flu Care Clinic (CCFCC) on Dec. 14, 2022.

The goal of the clinic is to ease the pressure on the hospital emergency department and provide alternative, accessible care for the community.

“The hospital is very pleased with the success of this clinic because of the substantial positive impact it’s had on our community. Having this service available for low acuity illness such as cold and flu enables the hospital to focus on high patient volumes for more serious, complex patients,” says Angie Saini, vice-president, clinical services and chief nursing executive. “The COVID, Cold and Flu Care Clinic is a perfect example of how partners working together through Ontario Health Teams can make a difference in providing accessible, co-ordinated access for patients. It really is about providing the right care in the right setting at the right time.”

Since opening its doors, the clinic has seen over 550 patients in a six-week period, and doesn’t expect to see a decrease in demand in the coming months. This demand includes children and individuals who do not have a primary health-care provider and require same-day access.

“We’ve seen high volumes of individuals and families through the clinic in the past six weeks and we want to make sure we continue offering as much support as we can to those who need it,” says Andrew Shantz, executive director of the North Simcoe Family Health Team. “On most days the clinic is fully booked and there continues to be a growing demand — especially with access to same-day or next-day appointments. When fully staffed, the CCFCC can see 35 to 40 patients per day.”

The clinic’s role is to provide assessment, testing and treatment for people experiencing COVID-19, cold, flu or other respiratory symptoms, and offers an opportunity for families and individuals in north Simcoe to access care quickly and efficiently.

“Unfortunately, our community does not have another option for urgent care beyond the hospital’s emergency department. Without support like the CCFCC, most patients will either end up at the emergency department — which is not always the best place for this sort of care — or make the decision to not seek the care they require,” says Shantz.

The clinic was originally created to support the community’s health-care needs during the pandemic and the heightened cold and flu season. However, the CCFCC has proven to be an excellent option for those not requiring emergency department care, but seeking medical assessment, care and navigation for all non-emergent issues — including chronic disease management, surge response, preventative care, etc.

“It is our understanding that the CCFCC funding will cease on March 31, 2023. A clinic like this is able to adapt to the needs of the community — whether it’s supporting patients with colds, episodics, or preventative care. It’s going to be a challenge for our community to lose a service that is so highly needed, and we know that other clinics across the province are facing similar challenges,” says Shantz.

For more information, community members are encouraged to contact their local member of provincial parliament to inquire about the sustainability of the COVID-19, Cold and Flu Care Clinic in north Simcoe.

Huntsville Doppler Published an article February 24, 2023

The service will begin on Tuesday, February 28 for unattached patients seeking primary care. The phone line to book an appointment will open a day before on the 27th of February, by calling 705-789-1744. Appointments can also be booked at algonquinfht.ca.

Patients who have a local family doctor or nurse practitioner will not be seen for primary care at the clinic and redirected back to their doctor or nurse practitioner.

The Algonquin Family Health Team and the Town of Huntsville have been partnering together to create the Huntsville Health Care Clinic, located at The Annex, 1 Minerva Street East.

The Clinic’s goals are to reduce Emergency Department visits and provide comprehensive primary care to the community for those who do not have a family
doctor or nurse practitioner.

“The HHCC will not be taking on patients permanently. Patients without a primary care provider are asked to sign up on their local waitlist. Accessing this clinic will not affect your waitlist status. We understand that there is a great need for primary care in Huntsville and beyond and we are expecting high volumes. Your understanding and patience is important as we start to see unattached patients,” states the release. “Requests for appointments will be returned if we can accommodate you. Unattached patients in the Huntsville area are encouraged to register on the wait list on the Algonquin Family Health Team website at algonquinfht.ca and can also access virtual care and learn more about where to get care at https://www.mahc.ca/en/services/where-to-get-care-muskoka.aspx.“

Kawartha 411 Published an article February 16, 2023

By Pamela Vanmeer

KAWARTHA LAKES-The Ontario government has announced that the City Of Kawartha Lakes Family Health Team will receive an additional $109,825 in funding for 2022/23.

MPPLaurie Scott made the announcement today. Scott says the provincial government is providing $8.1 million in new annualized base funding to enhance access to primary care in key regions of the province. This funding will support various interprofessional primary care organizations, including 18 Family Health Teams (FHTs), 2 Community Health Centres (CHCs) and 2 Nurse Practitioner Led-Clinics (NPLCs), to continue the deliver of high-quality care that Ontarians know and deserve.

The City of Kawartha Lakes Family Health Team (CKLFHT) will receive up to $109,825 in prorated additional base funding for the 2022-2023 Funding Year, annualizing to up to $439,300 in additional base funding for the 2023-24 Funding Year, to enhance access and support the delivery of quality interprofessional primary care in our community. This will bring the maximum available base funding to $3,928,240 for the 2022-23 Funding Year and $4,257,715 for the 2023-24 Funding Year.

“Increasing provincial funding for CKLFHT will directly support the residents of our community through the addition of 2 Nurse Practitioners and 1 Administrative Staff”, said Laurie Scott, MPP for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock. “This is another step to providing quality health care close to home. Thank you to the CKLFHT for all they do and continue to do to help our residents”.

“On behalf of the board, staff, physicians, and community, we applaud Ontario Ministry of Health’s recognition for support toward team-based primary health care, and specifically, toward the community of Kawartha Lakes where there is a continued need for health care services for the unattached population,” says Aasif Khakoo, Executive Director for the City of Kawartha Lakes Family Health Team. “A very special thank you to MPP Scott for her tireless support to the City of Kawartha Lakes Family Health Team, and the constituents of Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes and Brock. Like many communities across Ontario with similar demographics, our community needs a continued infusion of resources toward strengthening primary care for all residents in the region, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and integrated healthcare professionals. Today’s announcement is a strong and positive step forward for the community.”

The City of Kawartha Lakes Family Health Team is located at 55 Angeline Street North in Lindsay.

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Windsor Star Published an article Jan 24, 2023.

By Julie Kotsis

Four local organizations focused on mental health and oral care services have received a funding boost with the announcement of $564,000 in community investment by Green Shield.

The grants, made in partnership with the WindsorEssex Community Foundation, were announced during a gathering Tuesday morning at Maryvale’s Youth Wellness Hub.

Recipients include the Canadian Mental Health Association Windsor-Essex County, which received $200,000 to support the Youth Wellness Hub Windsor-Essex.

Windsor Family Health Team was also awarded $200,000 to support its community oral health care project, while the Harrow Health Centre Family Health Team received $100,000 for its community oral health-care project.

And $64,000 was awarded to Trans Wellness Ontario to support queer and trans counselling services.

“Over the past few years, Green Shield has been incredibly proud to partner with the WECF as a leading advocate for community well-being here in Windsor-Essex,” said Mila Lucio, an executive vice-president at Green Shield.

“With their support, and thanks to the dedication and expertise of these front-line organizations, we have invested over $2 million locally since 2018 in programs that help improve access to mental and oral health care,” Lucio said, “both areas of the health-care system that are often overlooked and under-funded.”

Lucio said the recipients’ projects will “positively impact over 3,000 lives by offering innovative solutions to help ensure that people in our community can access the resources and care they need.”

Full article here