There will be a doctor in the house once again in Port Hope.
Northumberland County has announced the Port Hope Medical Walk-in Clinic will be reopening soon. With assistance from partners, including the Community Health Centres of Northumberland (CHCN), the county is undertaking a one-year pilot of services offered to residents at the clinic, which is located on the second floor of the building at 99 Toronto Rd.
Services provided will aim to address “the critical local need for accessible primary care services,” particularly for the more than 4,000 residents in Northumberland not rostered with a physician, Northumberland County noted in a media release.
Northumberland County Warden Brian Ostrander said connecting more residents with primary health care providers is a priority countywide.
“With a high number of unattached patients in Northumberland, it is essential that we leverage expertise and resources across partnerships to meet local needs,” Ostrander said. “Together, the county and the CHCN will pilot a restoration of services via the Port Hope Medical Walk-in Clinic as a crucial step towards ensuring accessible health care for all residents.”
Northumberland County council recently supported a move to reopen the clinic. Olena Hankivsky, Northumberland County’s deputy warden and Municipality of Port Hope mayor, introduced the motion that ultimately asked county staff to engage partners in a one-year pilot project to re-establish the clinic and assess the feasibility of permanently restoring services.
The county said the partnership with CHCN “marks a significant milestone in this endeavour. The CHCN, with its wealth of experience in primary care service delivery, will assist with resourcing supports for start-up planning and implementation.”
Taryn Rennicks, CHCN executive director, said the CHCN is pleased to support the initiative.
“This walk-in clinic will provide services for medical concerns that require attention, mitigating the need for community members to visit hospital emergency departments or travel outside of the community for care,” Rennicks said in a statement.
The goal of restoring Port Hope Medical Walk-in Clinic services is to address the needs of the community’s unattached patients. Those rostered with a primary care physician will be encouraged to continue seeking care through their own doctor — or another primary care provider through their practice — to maintain continuity of care.
The county expects the clinic will accommodate around 7,000 patient visits during the one-year pilot.
Currently, the recruitment of potential physicians is ongoing, with several expressions of interest, Northumberland noted. The partners are installing the necessary technology and systems and finalizing staffing arrangements.
If all goes as planned, the clinic is slated to open in July. The proposed operating hours, which are subject to final scheduling, are currently Wednesdays and Fridays from 3 to 7 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“The momentum and support behind the re-establishment of the clinic are testament to our community’s commitment to ensuring accessible health care for all,” Hankivsky said. “We extend our heartfelt appreciation to our primary funder — the Port Hope and District Health Care Foundation — along with the Town of Cobourg, the Port Hope Rotary Club, Loyalist College, and other community partners for their generous contributions to the success of this undertaking.”
The county said it recognizes primary care services are integral to the health care continuum. However, the delivery of primary care is not a core service of the county. Northumberland staff will bring back to council in the future a recommendation to transition leadership for the service to a community health care partner, the county noted.
