New primary care funding for Chatham-Kent (CK) will help thousands more patients find a family doctor or nurse practitioner.
Chatham-Kent-Leamington MPP Trevor Jones announced $1.6 million on Thursday to connect nearly 3,300 more patients to family physicians.
The Chatham-Kent Ontario Health Team said the provincial cash will allow the local integrated health teams to hire 18 staff members across the municipality. They include nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers, and dietitians.
Dr. Briana Yee-Providence, Family Physician with the CK Family Health Team and the Physician Co-Chair of the CK Ontario Health Team Primary Care Network, said the funding will ease the burden on doctors, allow them to accept more patients, spend more time with them, and improve long-term health and well-being.
"It allows me as a physician to do the things that I need to do as a physician. It allows me to give people that have that skill set to be able to provide that care and support to my patients so that I can do the things I need to do as a physician, making more complex medical decisions, spending more time with patients," said Dr. Yee-Providence.
Joan Hackett, Board Chair of the CK Family Health Team and patient, noted she found it very challenging when she lost access to primary health care several years ago after her family physician retired.
"For minor prescriptions, we ended up in the ER and preventative care faded from our routine. For families like ours, it can be inconvenient, but for those with complex medical conditions, it can be overwhelming as health deteriorates," Hackett said.
The CK Family Health Team expects significant primary care challenges over the next five to 10 years because several family doctors are approaching retirement age.
Hackett said this staff funding will allow the remaining family doctors to get the support they need to care for more patients during the recruiting process to replace retirements.
"We have been fortunate to attract five new physicians over the past two years, but we had to say goodbye to four other ones due to retirements and relocations. That is why this expansion funding is so important. It allows several of our existing physicians to take on additional patients now," noted Hackett.
The new funding is also expected to reduce avoidable emergency department visits for non-urgent health concerns, easing pressure on hospitals while improving patient outcomes and making the system more efficient.
Denise Waddick, Executive Director of the Thamesview Family Health Team, said the goal of attaching 2,900 patients during the current round of funding that ends in July was almost doubled to approximately 5,400 patients and she believes the new funding will turn the 3,300 patients into 5,000 or 6,000 by May 2027.
Currently, nearly 22,000 residents in Chatham-Kent don't have a regular family physician or nurse practitioner.
Ontario is aiming to have every resident connected to a family doctor or nurse practitioner by 2029.
Chatham-Kent has received nearly $4 million to expand access to primary care since 2024.
The CK Ontario Health Team also reported BridgeCare, their clinic dedicated to unattached patients, will help identify complex individuals and navigate them through the healthcare system, coordinating follow-up care, connecting them to appropriate resources, and maintaining consistent primary care.
Click here if you don't have a family doctor or nurse practitioner or call 1-888-579-6707, Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m or email HealthCareConnect@ontariohealthathome.ca.
