September 8, 2015
1810
The Kincardine Community Medical Clinic and Family Health Team have announced the recruitment of nurse practitioners Melissa Wright and Hailey Walsh.
In a press release Tuesday (Sept. 8), health team chief executive officer Gerry Glover, manager of the medical clinic, said patients of Dr. Rejean Duwyn and Dr. Steven Poirier (who left Kincardine in July) will continue to contact the clinic utilizing the numbers associated with those respective medical practices for the purposes of scheduling and confirming follow-up appointments, receiving test results, and conducting regular business.
By employing a combination of continuous nursing and locum (temporary physician) coverage arrangements, former patients of Duwyn and Poirier will have continued access to dedicated, full-time primary health care services, said Glover. When affected patients contact the clinic to schedule an appointment, they will be advised they may be seen by either the nurse practitioner or by a physician.
In Ontario, Registered Nurses in the Extended Class, also known as Nurse Practitioners (NPs), are registered nurses with additional education (typically a Master’s degree coupled by practicum hours) and experience, who are able to order and interpret diagnostic tests, communicate diagnoses, prescribe pharmaceuticals and perform specific procedures, Glover said.
Regarding the recent practice closure affecting patients of Dr. John Engle, Glover said the clinic is currently updating the Patient Assignment and Notification Process, and efforts are under way to reassign affected patients to remaining clinic physicians.
Engle's patients will still be able to access patient appointments with him until his departure date of Nov. 26. After he leaves, his patients will be temporarily assigned to a remaining physician at the clinic until a replacement physician is recruited.
"We are trying to keep the respective practices intact to make them attractive for physician recruitment initiatives," said Glover.
The Patient Assignment and Notification Process will be finalized with notifications sent to patients via regular post on or before Oct. 31, said Glover.
"The Kincardine Community Medical Clinic and the Kincardine Family Health Team are engaged in discussions with the physician recruiter, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Municipality of Kincardine, in an effort to ensure patients' ongoing medical needs are met," Glover said.
The patient information line has been updated to include a recorded option for Engle’s patients. Patients and the public will be able to access the latest developments via the Information line. Please feel free to call: 519-396-4300 at any time to access the latest updates in this regard.
"We apologize for any inconvenience as a result of the practice closures and seek your continued understanding as we transition through this process," said Glover. "To ensure consistent and timely flow of information, patients and the public are urged to contact the information line, established for this purpose, rather than contacting individual physician offices."
Written ByLiz Dadson is the founder and editor of the Kincardine Record and has been in the news business since 1986.
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