Jessica Smith
The numbers are now in from the Family Health Team’s community survey: preferred a downtown location for the medical clinic at a nearly two to one ratio.
In July, survey forms were mailed to 2,736 area residents over the age of 16 and of the 781 respondents, 505 preferred downtown, as opposed to 276 who wanted the facility near the hospital. These results will be discussed at the FHT board meeting next month and from there the board will begin to determine the best options for a downtown location, said administrator Cathe Hoszowski.
“The board wanted to share this information as quickly as possible,” she said. “We really appreciated the comments, and of everyone taking the time to fill out the survey; without that, we wouldn’t have had the input the board wanted. Many people wrote lengthy, detailed comments, and put a lot of thought into it.”
While the two options provided on the survey outlined either locating the clinic downtown or adjacent to the hospital, the downtown option only specified a newly upgraded facility, not whether that would mean staying in the present facility or a different one.
Judging from comments, some respondents assumed that meant staying in the present clinic, yet generally, “as long as it was downtown, there wasn’t a real push to say it needed to be in a certain location,” said Hoszowki, adding that many, particularly seniors, were in favour of keeping it downtown. For most it was the convenience factor of being able to do other errands at the same time.
“The location that kept coming up again and again and again was the old Steep Rock Hotel, and we did look into it, but from the information we have been given, it’s not available.”
Some are concerned that if the FHT left the current building there would be another vacant Township-owned property, although Hoszowski said the purpose of the survey was to gauge patient needs from a healthcare – rather than economic – perspective.
Town Council recently passed a resolution to help the FHT secure funding to upgrade and expand the present clinic to make it more accessible and create more clinical, office and parking space, yet to date there has been only preliminary discussion between the Town and FHT on that possibility. Hoszowski said the FHT board wanted to get the public’s input before proceeding with any course of action, and board members have only had “really informal discussion about where downtown [to locate the clinic], if it wasn’t here.”
Survey comments also indicated most feel the clinic wasn’t accessible, particularly due to the entrance, stairs and lack of elevator, something on which the FHT and Township agree. In addition to an elevator and wider entrance and hallways, the FHT needs additional clinical space and would like to locate all administrative staff on one level. Currently, the facility doesn’t have adequate space for the nurses to do confidential pre-assessments, a videconference room, a client-centred office for the mental health worker, an office for the dietitian, storage area, or a meeting room (which is “really critical”).
Respondents in favour of a location adjacent to the AGH cited reasons such as coordination of health care services in one location, convenience for physicians to see patients at either location and the fact that many other communities have that model. Those opposed indicated transportation concerns and costs. “Interestingly, parking came up as an issue at both places,” she noted.
Only 28% participated in the survey, possibly indicating that 72% of those surveyed did not have a strong opinion on the issue, added Hoszowski.
One clear indication of the returned surveys “was that we have to do more work to help people understand the team-based approach of the Family Health Team,” she said. “We need to do more community outreach and to put more emphasis on helping people understand that it is team-based health care and includes physicians, nurse, dietitian, mental health worker, and pharmacy, and they are supported by an administrative team.”
She added that while nurses are taking on more patient care roles in chronic disease management (such as the diabetic program), as are other healthcare professionals, physicians “are still the primary lead on all health care.”
As part of a public education effort, the FHT is attending the September 17-18 Trade Show to provide information about their role and services. The organization will also include information brochures and displays highlighting different health topics at the clinic entrance – as well as a reminder to the public about missed appointments. Staff will post monthly the number of missed appointments, to remind patients that if they don’t show up “that time is lost to another patient,” said Hoszowski.
There are now 200 FHTs now operating in the province, and Atikokan is mentoring a new one in Nipigon. Payment for those services funded this community survey, she said.
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