Nurse practitioner-led clinic will address shortage of primary care

Several dignitaries were on hand for the announcement of a new nurse practitioner-led clinic in Tillsonburg last week. Left to right are: Jill Strong, executive director of people and performance for the Thames Valley Family Health Team; Tillsonburg Mayor Deb Gilvesy; Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman; Teresa Martins, executive director of the Oxford Ontario Health Team; Stephanie Nevins, executive director of the Ingersoll Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic and Jesse Rumble, clinical director of the Ingersoll Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic. (Jeff Helsdon photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

The big question after last week’s announcement of $5.22 million in funding towards addressing the 13,000 people without a primary health care provider in Oxford County is likely when it will open, but there are other questions, such as how we got here.

Located in the two units on the south end of the North Gate Plaza, the currently-empty space will be transformed into patient rooms, a waiting room, and administrative space. The clinic will be staffed by four nurse practitioners, an RN, an RPN, and possibly a social worker. The funding announced Tuesday will cover ongoing and start-up costs, including renovations to the unit.

Stephanie Nevins, executive director of the Ingersoll Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic (INPLC), said having a regular health care provider will result in fewer emergency visits and provide someone to walk alongside people on their health care journey.

“It means individuals and families who have gone without primary care, sometimes for years, will be able to have a continuous, documented relationship with a primary care provider,” she said. “It means earlier diagnoses, better management of chronic conditions, and support for mental health and overall well-being. Most importantly, it means people are no longer navigating the healthcare system alone. Having a regular primary care provider is truly life-changing.”

Jesse Rumble, INPLC clinical director, said it has not yet been determined how many of the 13,000 patient spaces will be in Tillsonburg, as this announcement was for the entire county, and will provide 11 to 13 positions. With four nurse practitioners, it will be significant, though.

While it may seem concerning that the Ingersoll Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic (INPLC) could find the staff needed in such a short time, Nevins said several staff for these positions are currently working on a contract basis.

Residents who currently don’t have a primary health care provider can register through Health Care Connect to sign up with the clinic. Nevins said people who want to be specifically associated with Tillsonburg should keep an eye on the INPLC website. The hope is that the Tillsonburg clinic will open this fall.

A previous step towards last week’s announcement was the opening of the temporary clinic presently operating in Roulston’s by INPLC for unattached patients.

“The goal is to not need temporary care and to have everyone attached to a clinician,” Nevins said.

How did we get here?

Last Tuesday’s announcement was the culmination of years of work. Tillsonburg Mayor Deb Gilvesy said, personally, she has been working on it since she was elected in 2018, as have other members of council and staff. She credited Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman for his work.

“Many may not see the work that happens behind the scenes, but I can say first hand that Ernie’s dedication and advocacy have played a critical role in securing this funding,” she said.

Gilvesy also gave credit to Nevins, who has been applying since 2017 for a clinic in Tillsonburg. The mayor, who coached Nevins in basketball, said she saw the same drive Nevins had on the court coming through in fighting for a Tillsonburg clinic.

Hardeman said he has been working on securing funding for a nurse practitioner clinic since shortly after Ingersoll’s clinic. This included having two different ministers down to Ingersoll and making the case for a similar clinic in Tillsonburg.

“Every time I meet the minister, I talk about how it’s coming and when we can make an announcement about Tillsonburg. It’s an ongoing process,” Hardeman said.

He had many conversations in the past few years when there were announcements and questioned why Tillsonburg wasn’t included. The challenge was how to assign people without a primary care provider geographically. For instance, the previous funding announcement was based on postal codes, which didn’t work for Tillsonburg because people were coming from different areas looking for a health care provider.

While this announcement will go a long way towards addressing primary care provider shortages in Tillsonburg, Gilvesy said the town is aware of several physician retirements in the coming years, and this is something being worked on by staff.