SooToday received the following Open Letter to the Community from the Group Health Centre:
Dear Community,
As dedicated health care providers in the Algoma District, we are deeply invested in ensuring that every individual has access to the care they need.
We know that primary care is the foundation of a healthy community—it plays a critical role in preventing illness, managing chronic conditions, and improving overall health outcomes. We recognize the challenges many face in accessing primary care, and we have been working tirelessly to strengthen and expand services in our community. Health care is more than just a service—it is a promise to support, heal, and empower our community.
The purpose of this letter is to provide you with an update on the steps we have taken over the past year to increase access, recruit and retain healthcare providers and enhance support for both our patients and our care teams. We are committed to making a meaningful difference.
Access Care Clinic
Thanks to the support of the Ministry of Health, we launched the Access Care Clinic (ACC) in June 2024 to provide an interim solution to patients who lost their GHC primary care provider on and after May 31, 2024. While the ACC remains a vital bridge to care, we acknowledge that it is not a long-term or sustainable solution. Our goal is to ensure that all ACC patients are re-rostered to a primary care provider.
Primary Care Physician Recruitment
We are incredibly grateful to our dedicated GHC physicians and nurse practitioners who have postponed retirement to maintain access to primary care for their patients. However, we recognize that upcoming retirements will continue, and we need to consider innovative recruitment strategies.
One strategy is the province’s Practice Ready Program, which facilitates the transition of internationally trained physicians into primary care roles. We are excited to welcome a new primary care physician from this program this spring and remain optimistic about future recruitment efforts.
Practice Ready Ontario is an assessment program that recognizes the competence of internationally trained physicians who have completed postgraduate training and have experience practicing family medicine or general practice outside of Canada.
Nurse Practitioner Recruitment
We have successfully recruited several Nurse Practitioners (NPs) to staff the ACC. Additionally, three new primary care NPs joined GHC in 2024, enabling 2,500 patients from the ACC to be re-rostered and transition to a primary care provider.
Grow Your Own Nurse Practitioner Program
With support from the Ministry of Health, GHC launched the Grow Your Own Nurse Practitioner (GYONP) Program in the summer of 2024. This innovative initiative addresses the local shortage of primary care providers by supporting Registered Nurses (RNs) from our own community in their transition to Nurse Practitioners (NPs). These nurses, deeply rooted in our community, bring a personal commitment to patient care. Through this program, GHC anticipates re-rostering an additional 6,000 patients from the ACC within three years.
Provider Retention
Recruitment of new providers is only part of the solution - retaining our current physicians and NPs is just as critical. As such, we have worked with our providers to identify opportunities and enhance our team-based care model.
With support from the Ministry of Health, we have introduced several key initiatives to reduce administrative burdens and enhance access to services for both providers and patients. These initiatives include:
- Referral Coordinator: A new Referral Coordinator role has been implemented to centralize and streamline specialist referrals, easing administrative pressures on providers.
- Mental Health Support: A dedicated mental health support team has been introduced, equipping providers with additional tools and resources to support the mental well-being of their patients.
- AI-Powered Documentation Support: Piloting tools that reduce administration time, allowing providers to focus more on patient care.
- Supporting Providers: embedding services such as physiotherapy and pharmacy to better support providers.
These are just a few examples of our ongoing efforts to strengthen support systems, improve team-based care and retain primary care providers.
Expanding Support
We recognize that allied health, diagnostics, and specialty care play a crucial role in supporting our primary care providers and enhancing patient outcomes. Having these services together under one roof allows for seamless, efficient, and patient-centred care - a defining feature of GHC.
In 2024, we welcomed a new Pediatrician and a General Practitioner with a specialty in psychiatry focusing on addiction, further expanding our capacity for specialized care. We are also pleased to announce upcoming additions to our team:
- 2025: A new Obstetrician
- 2026: A new Otolaryngologist (Ear, Nose, & Throat Specialist)
Additionally, successful recruitments in Diagnostic Imaging and Physiotherapy have allowed us to reduce wait times, ensuring quicker access to critical services.
We cannot do this alone. Supporting GHC means supporting the health of our entire community. We encourage you to stay engaged, keep informed about our progress, and join us in advocating for sustainable healthcare solutions.
Our work is not done until every resident in Sault Ste. Marie and the Algoma District has access to the care they deserve. We remain committed to continuing to work with the Ministry of Health and our healthcare partners to turn this vision into a reality.
Sincerely,
Lil Silvano, CEO, Group Health Centre
Dr. Jodie Stewart, CEO, Algoma District Medical Group