By: Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

Three Essex-County based primary healthcare clinics have been collectively provided $1.4M from the Ontario Government to attach around 4,000 more patients to a primary care provider in Lakeshore, Harrow, and Amherstburg. 

The focus is to ensure more and more individuals have access to primary care. 

The announcement was made at the Lakeshore Community Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic on Tuesday morning. 

The funding will benefit the Harrow Health Centre Family Health Team, the Amherstburg Family Health Team, and the Lakeshore Community Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic located in Belle River. 

Essex MPP Anthony Leardi was pleased to make the announcement. It is all part of the Primary Care Action Plan put forward by the Province’s PC Government, ensuring “everybody in Ontario gets attached to a primary care provider. 

“This is a collaborative effort,” MP Leardi said. “I want to congratulate these three organizations for working together. They repeatedly stressed – over and over again – that it is a package of 4000 more patients. They are not playing territorial games here. They are working collaboratively and that is a great way to work together.” 

He explained that patient-centred healthcare allows a primary care provider to direct patients to perhaps a social worker or physiotherapist service offered through the clinics.

To expand local healthcare patient rosters and connect more individuals to primary care “is absolutely fantastic,” MPP Leardi said. “I am so pleased to be working together with the Minister of Health [Sylvia Jones], as the Parliamentary Assistant.” 

Frank Minardi, Executive Director of the Amherstburg Family Health Team, said the funding will allow his clinic to hire an additional Nurse Practitioner, and collaborate with the Harrow Family Health Team to initiate a new physio program. That was based on hearing the needs from clients.

The addition will not only help to serve its existing 10,000 patients, but attract more patients, as well.

Andrew Atkins, Executive Director of the Harrow Health Centre Family Health Team, said his clinic is excited to receive this funding. It will allow the clinic to attract more patients by being able to bring on a new Physician, a new Nurse Practitioner, and expand some allied health professional positions, such as its pharmacist and dietician.

“We are extremely excited about the collaboration with the Amherstburg Family Health Team with the new physiotherapist program, where a physiotherapist will be shared and provide services at both locations,” Atkins said.

He also spoke of how the Harrow Health Centre Family Health Team has a satellite office in McGregor. The funding will allow his clinic to expand access and hours to the McGregor Clinic, which is an underserved area.

“Being able to offer primary healthcare very close to home, where there are barriers like transportation, is very important, and this funding allows us to do that,” Atkins added. 

Sharon Bevington, Executive Director – Administration for the Lakeshore Community Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic, said this is the first primary care expansion funding to happen in Lakeshore.

“Our Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic is the only team-based primary care in Lakeshore. We have been open for 16-years, and this is the first time we have been able to expand and meet the needs of the community,” she explained.

When they submitted the application for the funding, there were around 5600 individuals unattached to a primary care provider in their area. Through this funding, the Lakeshore-based clinic will be able to bring on around 1300 patients.

She called it a first stepping stone towards the goal of ensuring everyone has access to primary care. 

“There will be future rounds of expansion and we will continue to apply until everyone in Lakeshore has access to team-based primary care,” Bevington said. Currently, it is serving around 2400 patients.

Its expansion includes a Nurse-Practitioner, a Registered Nurse, and a Social Worker, based on client needs. “We know that is the team that is required in order to give the most holistic care and meet the whole needs of the patients.” 

To be chosen in this round of funding, the team is “truly over the moon.”

Bevington hopes to be able to take on the new patients starting at the end of June or early July. 

The Amherstburg and Harrow Family Health Teams are rostering new patients already.

This funding is building on what was provided to the Kingsville office of the Essex County Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic previously through the same Primary Care Action Plan, which expanded its roster to include another 2000 clients.

With the previous announcement and this week’s, 6000 more individuals will be attached to a primary care provider, thanks to the Ontario Government’s Primary Care Action Plan, MPP Leardi said.

Doing so is helping divert people from having to go to the Emergency Room for care. 

“One of the positive effects of this is that now that people have access to primary care, it will reduce the number of people who wind-up in the Emergency Room…They belong in a Doctor’s office or in a Nurse practitioner’s office, getting the primary care they need.”