January 7, 2020
Wasaga Beach, Ontario – January 7, 2020 – Health care partners in the South Georgian Bay sub-region are working together on a solution to help address a gap in primary care for people living in Wasaga Beach and the surrounding SBG area. The South Georgian Bay Community Health Centre (SGBCHC) located in Wasaga Beach and the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital (CGMH) will be supporting one-time funding for the hire of a Nurse Practitioner (NP), for a three-month period, beginning on January 14, 2020 through to March 31, 2020.
The NP will be accepting appointments beginning on January 14, 2020 at the SGBCHC and will offer pre-booked and same day appointments for people who do not have a primary health care provider. Appointments will be available Monday to Friday during normal business hours of the SGBCHC. People will be required to call ahead to book an appointment at 705-352-3471. No walk-ins will be accepted.
NPs are registered nurses with advanced education and training that allows them to diagnose and treat minor illnesses and injuries, screen for the presence of chronic disease and monitor stable health conditions. The NP will not under any circumstances, prescribe or renew narcotics or controlled medications at the SGBCHC.
“This is an especially busy time for health care in our community. The additional support from the Nurse Practitioner will help connect more people in South Georgian Bay with the right care in the right place and help reduce unnecessary visits to the emergency department,” said Heather Klein Gebbinck, Executive Director, SGBCHC. “Hundreds of area residents who currently lack a primary health care provider will benefit from this increased access to care.”
South Georgian Bay health care partners continue to collaborate and work through the steps of applying to become an Ontario Health Team, which would work to address community priorities like urgent primary care needs.
“CGMH is pleased to be able to provide this one-time funding through to the end of March 2020 to support a Nurse Practitioner at the SGBCHC, as it will provide the many individuals in our region who do not have a primary care provider timely access to primary health care, without having to wait in the hospital’s emergency department,” says Norah Holder, CGMH president and CEO.
For more information and to book an appointment with the Nurse Practitioner, please call 705-352-3471. This service will be available to those who do not have a family physician or nurse practitioner.
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About the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital
Collingwood G&M Hospital (CGMH) is a 74 bed hospital located in Collingwood, Ontario (approximately 90 minutes north of Toronto) that serves more than 60,000 permanent residents and 3.5 Million annual visitors to the communities of Wasaga Beach, Collingwood, Clearview and the Blue Mountains. The G&M is an acute care hospital providing emergency care, diagnostic services including lab, imaging and cardio respiratory therapy, as well as two inpatient units (medicine and surgery). In addition, the G&M also provides care in specialty areas including obstetrics, orthopaedics, intensive care and surgery. The Hospital also provides out patient care including dialysis and a wide range of clinics including mental health and rehabilitation services. The G&M continues to provide care close to home for our community and plays a key role as an integrated orthopaedic centre for our region. For more information please visit our website at www.cgmh.on.ca and our Foundation website at www.cgmhf.com.
About the South Georgian Bay Community Health Centre
The South Georgian Bay Community Health Centre is a non-profit, community-governed, charitable organization that focuses on the health and wellbeing of individuals in the community. They provide everyone in the community with access to health care services, free community programs and community development. The SGBCHC is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, through the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network. For more information please visit www.southgeorgianbaychc.ca.
Media Contact(s):
Louise Picot Lisa van Kolfschoten
SGBCHC Communications Collingwood General and Marine Hospital
705-606-1549 705-445-2550 ext: 8307
louise@louisepicot.com vankolfschotenl@cgmh.on.ca