Edmonton, AB
| Email: | corrine.gamerdinger@fmchealth.ca |
|---|---|
| Clinic Address: | #101 – 6603 – 132 Ave. Edmonton, AB T5C 2A4 |
| Role of Clinic at Website: | Community based medical clinic providing comprehensive complex chronic care; General Medicine/Pediatrics/Prenatal Care |
| Description of Site/Opportunity: | A brief history: the FORT MEDICAL CLINIC @ the Belvedere Professional Centre [houses a PHARMACY that provides triage & assessment of “walk-in” type patients in tandem with exclusive pharmacy only services; & a PHYSIOTHERAPY CLINIC associated with MASSAGE THERAPY providing comprehensive multi-dimensional physical therapy] – is located @ the southwest corner of 132 Ave & 66 St > in a free standing professional building located at a very busy thoroughfare {just south of the Londonderry mall} & a short distance from the Belvedere LRT station {built in 1993}. Historically, this clinic is one of [if not the only], first community-based clinic in NE Edmonton dating back close to 60+ yrs. {after several relocations in the area}! At peak operation, in the ’90’s & ’00’s & early teens – the clinic ran with 5 to 7 primary care physicians, providing a comprehensive scope of care – even just prior: uncomplicated obstetrics [care & delivery] + hospital affiliation with admission privileges & care, as well as long-term extended care; & office based minor surgical procedures! However, due to physician attrition over the history of the clinic, as well as the changing / shifting landscape of delivery of community based primary care services, particularly with the advent of PRIMARY CARE NETWORKS, the current clinic has been able to continue to provide extended, long-term care at 8 facilities in the community but otherwise abbreviated longitudinal & chronic complex care in an ongoing fashion supported by 3 remaining physicians ! 2 of the physicians are potentially aging out – but not imminently; the 3rd physician is considerably younger – well established & is prepared to support & mentor any potential new arrival at the clinic [be it a young newly graduated physician or a new N/P] – at least one of the older physicians is similarly motivated! Clearly, the physical facility is well endowed with necessary infrastructure – both physical / supply & personnel, to accommodate one or more primary care providers, in a “team-based” setting! The clinic features currently an MOA[s] as well as receptionist(s} {& did at peak activity employ an RN(s) to support more intense “team-based” outreach & comprehensive care – supporting the physicians at the time}; a part-time secretary, billing clerk & f/t clinic manager complete the operation. There are 8 exam rooms & additional space that was previously converted to facilitate the minor surgery [a suite] & 2 additional exam rooms / consulting area; there is an unoccupied dedicated nurse’s office at the hub of the clinic layout! WHY THIS MISSIVE ?!?! Well – 3 physicians who provided care for 50 +/- yrs have recently aged out & retired; one younger middle-aged doc elected to restrict his practice to a narrower scope minor surgery & departed; which has left this free-standing clinic facility underutilized & understaffed with the current 3 physicians having to restrict their panels; the infrastructure has been downsized to accommodate the current fiscal realities of primary care in the community – but the potential space & infrastructure available to continue to support a larger primary care provider presence at this location – still exists!!! Currently, the on-site pharmacy is actually undertaking some primary care triage practice to scope; but clearly, this is only a band-aide solution to a much broader need in the community!!! Since the Alberta government has recently recognized N/P’s as potential / actual primary care providers, & the nurse practitioner program has injected the personnel into the landscape of medical practitioners, working to scope, I am reaching out & appealing to the N/P program to review this proposition to perhaps potentially exploit these available resources, already existing in the community, to reciprocate this outreach, & to consider communicating this petition to it’s members! Hopefully this may stimulate some interest in one or more N/P’s to consider an opportunity to support continuing longitudinal & chronic complex care in a well-entrenched community-based setting with infrastructure that already exists! |
| Other Healthcare Providers on Site?: | 3 Family Physicians |
| Is this Clinic Associated with a PCN?: | Yes |
| If yes, which PCN?: | Edmonton North PCN |
| Estimated Number of Unattached Patients Available for rostering: | 1000 |