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Doctor Shortage Forces Clinic Closure
15 Sep
Summary
- Chronic disease clinic closing due to lack of doctors.
- Clinic was a temporary measure for patients needing care.
- Ontario Health Coalition urges government to treat as crisis.
The North Bay Regional Health Centre will close its Chronic Disease Management Clinic, a service established three years ago to assist patients without family doctors, due to an ongoing physician shortage. Hospital officials described the decision as distressing for both patients and staff.
This clinic was initially launched as an interim measure to manage complex-needs patients and alleviate pressure on the emergency room. However, recruiting new doctors is proving difficult amidst a profound provincial shortage, making it challenging for physicians to locate in the area.
The Ontario Health Coalition advocates for comprehensive healthcare teams, including nurse practitioners and other allied health professionals, to support physicians and make practice more tenable. They urge the government to mobilize versatile health care teams and treat the shortage as a crisis.
Despite successful recruitment efforts for some primary care doctors and specialists in the last fiscal year, retirements and increased demand have hindered the region's progress in closing the primary care gap. NOSM University is expanding its medical school and residency programs, aiming to increase physician capacity and establish new teaching clinics across Northern Ontario.
