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Two doctors are leaving to set up clinics, and their retirement procedures are scheduled for May 31.
Published on May 24, 2024 • Last updated 33 minutes ago • 3 minute read
Group Health Centers says it is in “ongoing discussions” with state officials to avoid having about 10,000 members stripped of their licenses at the end of May. Jeffrey Ogler/The Salt Star
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Group health centers are charging it bitterly.
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The facility said it was “great news” that the two doctors will be bringing patients to the new clinic, and the fact that 3,000 patients will be able to continue receiving primary care from Dr. Kiran Waqas and Dr. Manjeet Singh is a “positive development for our community.”
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“It has always been our goal to ensure patients have continuity of care,” Jordan Zinn, GHC public relations manager, told The Salt Star on Thursday. “We are pleased to support Dr. Waqas and Dr. Singh in their transition and wish them the best in their future endeavors.”
But GHC acknowledges that losing the two doctors will be a blow given the current shortage of primary care physicians both in the country and around the world.
“It is always unfortunate when an organization loses a physician-in-chief, whether it be because of retirement or to move into another area of medicine,” Jin said, adding that GHC “cannot comment” on Waqas and Singh's decisions to leave. “We certainly acknowledge the difficulties their departure has brought.”
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In a release released by GHC earlier this year, the company said approximately 10,000 patients would lose access to their primary care physicians or same-day care services, citing a shortage of primary care physicians across the state and country, a situation that has left GHC in a position where it is “unable to find replacements for primary care physicians who have closed their practices over the past few years.”
The center identified an additional 6,000 patients who are at risk of not having access to primary care in the near future if these trends continue. Currently, it is estimated that there are about 30,000 people in the region without a primary care provider.
Group Health Centres says the starter phase-out will occur at the end of this month. The company says it is in “ongoing discussions” with Sault Ste. Marie MP Ross Romano and the Ministry of Health about “the numerous proposals we have put forward to support the health care needs of our community.”
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“But while no decision has been made yet, we remain optimistic,” Jin said.
Romano previously said he is “cautiously optimistic” that plans will be in place to ensure 10,000 de-starter patients have access to primary care services by May 31. He formed a task force, which held its first meeting on March 1 to develop plans to revise the vision and mission statements, identify the root causes of the physician shortage issue and develop short- and long-term solutions. Romano said the first goal will be to ensure de-starter GHC patients have access to primary care services through alternative avenues that are currently being considered.
An additional challenge for the McNabb Street Center is that the United Steelworkers Union Local 2251 is calling on its original supporters to file a lawsuit against GHC, arguing that these individuals paid for the construction of the facility and are entitled to lifelong health care under the original agreement.
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Regionally, two family physicians in Blind River recently announced they were leaving the town east of Sault Ste. Marie, leaving four full-time doctors there. North Shore Health Network was relieved to hear the province recently announce it would continue funding temporary substitute physicians to help regional hospitals in northern Ontario avoid temporary emergency room closures.
Meanwhile, Great Lakes Clinic, located at 710 Second Line East (Unit 6), is expected to open by early June.
The facility will offer a wide range of medical care, including walk-in services, family medicine, vaccinations, child care, chronic disease management, prescription renewals and treatment for non-serious injuries, according to the clinic's website.
The new clinic also offers specialized health services for women, including breast exams, pregnancy testing, prenatal consultations and family planning services.
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