PAGE 4
THE EXAMINER/WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009
We have a
proven reputation
More doctors arrive
and experience of
over 25 years
The security sticker most
without much fanfare
used by business,
most feared by burglars.
CHOOSE
Family health teams know they’re doing their job when
Peterborough area’s new doctors are no longer front-page news
EXPERIENCE!
I
t wasn’t too many years ago that the news was borough put their heads together and eventually,
riddled with story after story about the local fam- after many, many after-hours meetings, created a
ily doctor shortage in the Peterborough area. It model that they thought took the best qualities of
seemed that every other week the issue was each of the existing models and eventually presented
• U.L.C. Listed
raised in one quarter or another and when a new fam- the ideas to the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long
ily doctor did relocate to the area everyone heard Term Care. Fortunately, the government of the day
about it. was receptive and, with a little tweaking of the Peter-
• Burglar Alarms
The fact that our community, borough model, the implementation of what is now
along with the remainder of called the Family Health Team model in Ontario took
• Medical Alarms
Ontario and yes, even all of Cana- off.
da, was and still is experiencing a In fact, when the implementation was announced,
major doctor shortage was full jus- Peterborough was one of only three Ontario commu-
• Fire Alarms
tification for the ongoing question- nities identified by the Minister of Health and Long
ing about what was being done. Term Care as a “lead community,” which meant it
• Fire Extinguishers
Why weren’t more people being would receive funding to implement multiple Family
trained as doctors? Why was it Health Team groups.
that more and more medical stu- And so the process began.
• Closed Circuit TV
dents were not choosing to be fami- Thanks to the leadership of Dr. Don Harterre and
ly doctors? Bill Casey and a leading group of family physicians,
• Card Access
By JOHN
And, what was being done to who represent each of the five Family Health Team
MACDONALD
encourage those available to come groups in the area, our community is held up by the
to the Peterborough area? All good ministry as an example to other communities across
Systems
and valid questions! the province.
The fact is that a number of significant changes The model provides for the integration of doctors
have taken place over a relatively short period of time working with nurse practitioners, nurses, social
such that the issues regarding accessibility to pri- workers, dieticians, and pharmacists which, when all
LOCAL ALARM MONITORING
mary care has changed considerably. are in place, allows the medical practitioner more
The first major change was the “birth” of the Fami- time to see more patients with more acute illnesses.
STATION. U.L.C. LISTED
ly Health Team model. As a result more and more people who were without
A number of years ago in Peterborough some very access to primary care have now been assigned to a
dedicated doctors decided that whenever a new family doctor’s practice and are cared for.
provincial government was elected they each tried to Since January, 2007, when it was estimated that
implement their own version of a model to deliver pri- more than 22,000 people in our area were without a
RENT SECURITY
mary health care. family doctor, that number is now about 5,000 to
At one point there were probably three or four 6,000 — a roughly 70 per cent reduction in the num-
SYSTEMS
major versions of how to best meet the primary care ber of “orphan” patients.
needs of citizens in Ontario but not one of the models This is probably one of the most significant reduc-
met both the needs of the patients nor did the models tions in waiting lists experienced in communities of
480 THE PARKWAY 748-2001
satisfy the working conditions of the medical practi- similar size across Ontario .
tioners.
website: www.trentsecurity.com
Thus, a small group of family doctors from Peter- (See: Doctor Shortage...Page 5)
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