It is estimated that 30,000 people are without a nurse practitioner or family doctor in the Sudbury area.
“The Ontario government supports nurse practitioner clinics as a proven way to improve access to primary health care services,” said Health and Long-Term Care Minister David Caplan, in a release. “The expansion of the Sudbury clinic to Lively will ensure this new type of primary health care is available closer to home for thousands of patients who need it.”
This innovative partnership, with the city supplying the currently unused space, and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care funding necessary renovations and operating costs, will enable the tendering process to begin in the near future, with renovations to start as soon
as possible.
The clinic will occupy more than 3,300 square feet of space at 623 Main Street in the former town of Lively. This location was previously used as a satellite office for the Greater Sudbury Police but
has been vacant for some time.
In the newly renovated clinic, patients will benefit from a community meeting room where they can attend classes and seminars to help them stay healthy or manage current health issues.
The SDNPC, Lively site, will have a team of three nurse practitioners (NPs), a collaborative physician, a social worker, a dietitian, a pharmacist and an RN. Patients who are currently without a doctor or NP
in the Lively and Copper Cliff areas can register immediately at the Sudbury location while renovations are completed in Lively.
“The opening of a nurse practitioner clinic in Lively is an important step toward providing residents with increased access to primary health care in our community,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor John Rodriguez.
“I am very pleased that we could partner with local nurse practitioners and the province to expand this service within the community. Through these clinics, thousands of residents are receiving
the personalized health care they need and deserve.”
Ward 2 Councillor Jacques Barbeau expressed his appreciation for the new clinic. "A fantastic opportunity presented itself to answer a desperate need,” he said. “Seniors without access to primary care are at high risk of becoming another ALC statistic. We as a community can determine how we will address the needs of an aging population. The opening of this nurse practitioners clinic is a big part of the solution.”
A successful new model for health care in Canada, the clinic will serve unattached patients of all ages. Their primary care needs, such as chronic illness or mental and family health care issues, will be
addressed. Sudbury District NP Clinics offer all the services that patients can expect from any family practice.
As the primary health-care providers at the clinics, NPs complete patient assessments and send patients for diagnostic testing. They diagnose and prescribe medication for a variety of illnesses and monitor stable chronic illness.
Many of the patients will only need to see their Nurse Practitioner; however, physicians are available to see patients on site and are available for consult with the NP when necessary.
For more information about Nurse Practitioners and the Sudbury District Nurse Practitioner Clinics see http://sdnpc.ca/ Walden area and Copper Cliff residents can attend the Sudbury location to find out more regarding how to become a patient at the clinic.
Originally published in Northern Life
