Brantford and Ohsweken will be splitting a $3.8 million investment by the province that aims to help thousands of people who don’t have a primary health provider.
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The funds will support family health teams at the Grand River Community Health Clinic, which will receive $1.7 million and Ohsweken, where the Six Nations of the Grand Family Health Team will get $1.8 million.
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“We’re looking at a game-changer here,” said MPP Will Bouma at the Thursday afternoon announcement.
“With today’s investment, Ontario will be connecting 14,005 patients, who are currently unattached to a primary health provider, to a family health team.”
Gathered in the hallway of the Grand River Community Clinic on Colborne Street and surrounded by staff, including doctors, the announcement was made by MPP Robin Martin, the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health.
Martin said this health team approach that combines physicians with nurses, social workers, dietitians and counselors is one for which doctors have been asking. It will help with recruitment and retention of doctors and nurses.
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“We’re not going to stop until everyone in Ontario that wants a primary care provider has one.”
Questioned about where the doctors and nurses will come from to fill the roles on the expanded health teams, Martin said the government has made many small changes to improve that situation, including facilitating the move here for foreign-trained doctors, increasing the number of residency spots for family doctors and opening new medical schools.
Bouma pointed out other initiatives such as reducing the amount of paperwork doctors have to do and allowing pharmacists to prescribe medications for minor ailments.
“I’m advocating for the a new emergency department as well as a new Brantford General Hospital but… we’re trying to take the stress off the healthcare system.”
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Peter Szota, the now-retired executive director at the GRHC, wrote the initial proposal for the funds and was delighted to be back to welcome the announcement.
“I would imagine there will be an impact within months,” Szota said, noting while the new doctors will likely be headquartered at the building, the rest of the team will have a reach that extends through the county.
“This is a significant expansion of what we’re doing here.”
Szota said about 60 people work at the center, serving a base of between 10,000 and 15,000.
Not everyone was as excited about the announcement.
Brant County Mayor David Bailey and Coun. John Bell expressed their disappointment that the funds were aimed at the city and Six Nations rather than much needed work in the county.
“At Primacare (Community Family Health Team) in Paris, we’ve had no increase in our budget for five years,” Bell told Martin and Bouma
“We’re losing staff because we can’t afford to pay them. This is really good and positive for Brantford but there’s nothing there for (us).”
Bailey left saying he was also disappointed.
“We can’t keep having these big surprise meetings and finding there is nothing for Brant.”
@EXPSGamble
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