As many as 600 people in Kingston’s East End who don’t currently have a primary care provider will as of Saturday – but there could be a lineup to do so.
In a release Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Ontario Health Team (FLA-OHT) shared that the Greenwood Medical Center is aiming to attach approximately 1000 new patients to their Kingston East Health Home, and are kicking it off by registering 600 new patients between 9 AM and 12 PM this Saturday, August 17.
The spots are limited to those living within the established boundary in Eastern Kingston, which runs north to Middle Road, south to the St. Lawrence River, east to Abbey Dawn Road, and west to the Cataraqui River.
In the release Dr. Justyna Nowak, a physician at Greenwood Medical Centre, says the medical centre is excited to help meet the need for access to family doctors in the community.
“We recognize the challenges that people face in accessing consistent, high-quality health care and are excited to welcome 1000 more people to our centre,” Dr. Nowak said.
“Our dedicated team of health-care professionals is committed to ensuring that everyone receives the care they need close to where they live.”
It’s expected those seeking to be attached to Greenwood will have to line up much like that which was seen at CDK Family Health in February, when hopeful patients lined up for an entire day or even camped out in hopes of attaining a spot.
With Greenwood establishing a more restrictive boundary for eligible patients and also requiring prospective patients to first register on Healthcare Connect, the lines are expected to be smaller.
FLA OHT says for those who cannot attend the event there will be work underway with Ontario Health to attach more patients in the coming months, and encouraged those who are unable to attend due to mobility issues to register for Health Care Connect.
The release adds that as the clinic continues to expand, so too will the access for unattached residents in the area.
Those looking to get signed up on Saturday should go to 804 John Marks Avenue with a piece of government issued identification, and every member of a household over the age of 16 has to attend to be registered.
The expansion for Greenwood comes just a week after multiple clinics in the area have announced taking on more new patients, including the opening of the Midtown Kingston Health Home.
Dr. Kim Morrison, FLA OHT Executive Lead, says it’s a goal of the health team to make lack of access to a family doctor close to home a thing of the past.
She says there’s schools adequate to meet the needs of all families in the area, and the same should be true of primary care providers.
“Our goal is to cover the entire geography so that everybody has care close to home, like in their neighborhood,” Dr. Morrison said.
“You move to Napanee, there’s no question, your kid is going to school here. Why should you not have the family doctor? You move to downtown Kingston your kid goes to that school, why should you not have a family doctor?”Â
500 people were previously registered to the Health Home this year, with the City of Kingston’s Primary Care Clinic Expansion Grant being noted for making such additions possible.
