Local dignitaries, health care professionals and patients gathered to help celebrate the 10th anniversary of Sarnia's Rapids Family Health Team Wednesday.
Executive Director Lynn Laidler says they've come a long way from a modest beginning in 2006, where only 3,000 square feet of space was occupied at the Pontiac Dr. location and no doctors were signed on.
"Now we have 40 [doctors] that we partner with, we have 50 staff, we've put in all new programs and services and of course now occupy 20,000 sq ft,"says Laidler.
Rapids Family Health Team boasts a patient roster of 65,000 and offers 12 different programs and services, covering everything from seniors wellness, emotional health, nutrition, diabetes education and children's health.
"I think last year 20,000 patients came through the building last year. So that's huge," she says.
The programs and services are mostly accessed by physician referral.
This August alone, Laidler says they accepted nearly 30 referrals for diabetes education and just over 40 for mental health services.
"We try to do our best to get everyone in. For mental health services, we try not to have a waiting list and get patients assistance as soon as we can," she says.
The team has three social workers and two psychologists available.
Laidler says they also run satellite locations in Corunna and at the London Road Diagnostic Centre. She says they aren't done growing and hopes more expansions are announced in the future.
The Lambton Seniors Association played a big part in the organization's creation.
Board Chair Jim Houston says the original goal was to address a family physician shortage in Sarnia.
"In 2001, we had 29 family physicians in ratio to our population in Lambton County," says Houston.
"The original reason why we undertook the initiative was because we weren't getting the care we needed, we didn't have the doctors and wanted to do something about it. Rapids model of care is phenomenal. They've branched out into every facet of health care, to diabetes, to cancer, to mental health, addiction... there isn't any facet of health care here that isn't covered."
For more information on the Rapids Family Health Team, you can visit the newly launched website rapidsfhteam.ca.
