Port Hope Walk-in clinic recently reopened. It is part of a broader trend of walk-in clinics and telemedicine outlets across Northumberland County.
The show Part 1:
The show Part 2:
The full interview (Podcast):
Your toddler has a fever that does not seem to break. You are a senior who needs a prescription renewal to treat a chronic condition. Your cold is getting worse, not better.
For some in Northumberland, it is a call to your physician or, in the lingo of the healthcare sector, primary caregiver. But for those without a doctor, it is a real problem. Where do you go? The maze of services can be confusing.
Do you use a virtual visit via a local pharmacy or grocery store? What about a walk-in clinic? Then there is the emergency room in Campbellford or Cobourg?
If you go online, you can’t even find a single list of options for the county. However, if you browse social media on any given day, you will find at least one person appealing for advice on finding help nearby.
There are no simple answers. It is one of the complex questions the Ontario Health Team Northumberland is trying to resolve.
Today’s show is entirely dedicated to figuring out a path through this maze. You will hear from three key people tackling the crisis: Susan Walsh, CEO of Northumberland Hills Hospital. Taryn Renick, Executive Director for Community Health Centers Northumberland and Andrea Groth, executive lead for the Ontario Health Team Northumberland will be talking to me.
An estimated 8,000 people living in Northumberland do not have a doctor or a nurse practitioner. Within the next two years, the number is expected to rise to 25,000
The first part of this in-depth interview looks at the role of walk-in clinics in telemedicine. Port Hope’s walk-in clinic recently reopened. A new walk-in clinic is opening shortly in Cobourg, and another telemedicine service is opening in a pharmacy in Port Hope. It is joining several others in Grafton, Cobourg, Brighton, and Campbellford.
Listen carefully to decide if what is being done is enough to address the need for access to care in Northumberland.
Originally aired: October 11, 2024
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