Kincardine medical team ready to care for patients as two doctors leave
The Kincardine Family Health Organization has a plan in place to maintain continuity of care for patients affected by the closure of the medical practices of Dr. Rejean Duwyn and Dr. Steven Poirier, effective July 17.
"We appreciate the closures will result in inconvenience and stress and have proactively developed a co-ordinated response to address patients' concerns," said Gerry Glover, chief executive officer of the Kincardine Family Health Team, and office manager of the Kincardine Community Medical Clinic.
The response includes the following steps:
- The Patient Assignment and Notification Process is now complete. Affected patients should be in receipt of a letter indicating next steps. In the event you have not received a temporary assignment letter, please contact the Patient Information Line and a member of the team will follow-up with you to confirm your assignment
- Affected patients have been temporarily assigned to a remaining physician at the clinic until replacement physicians have been recruited. Please note: patient assignments are temporary and re-assignments will not be provided
- The Patient Assignment process included, to the extent possible, identifying young children and their parents to ensure they remain together with the same provider – as well, it included cross-referencing patient names within the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) to ensure those patients experiencing more acuity (i.e.: cancer, pregnancy, medically-managed conditions) are identified to ensure continuity of care
- All clinic physicians have increased their Same Day/Next Day Availability
- The Emergency Room (ER) Diversion Protocol, established in collaboration with the South Bruce Grey Health Centre (Kincardine site) to divert lesser-acute patients from the ER to the Family Health Team Nurse Practitioner, is working effectively and efficiently
- The clinic is seeking to recruit two additional Primary Care Nurse Practitioners who will assist remaining clinic physicians to support the care of the practices of the departing doctors under the direction of supervising physicians
"We wish to provide assurances that we do not have any plans to initiate an orphan clinic," said Glover. "To the extent possible, sensitivity and consideration were exercised to ensure those patients no longer rostered to the clinic, are not provided with a temporary assignment letter.
"We appreciate the understanding of our supportive community as we work through this process."
As further information is available, it can be accessed through the Patient Information Line at 519-396-4300.
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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