Three MDs lined up to work in Chelmsford clinic

Residents in Chelmsford should have a Family Health Team clinic operating early next year, city councillors were told Tuesday.

The City of Lakes clinics already operate in Sudbury, Lively and Valley East, and are a major part of the city's strategy to addressed chronically-underserviced areas of the city.

The three facilities have 12 physicians, who serve around 17,000 patients. Under the model, doctors are recruited to work in a city-owned facility already staffed with support workers.

Rayside has been underserviced for years, due to retirements and doctors moving out of the community. The clinic will serve about 5,000 patients once fully operational.

Three of four family physicians have committed to the Chelmsford site, said David Courtemanche, executive director of the City of Lakes Family Health Team. Two will move to the community in the fall, while one is still finishing their residency, Courtemanche said.

“So now we now have three that have made a commitment to join us at that site,” he said.

With most of the staffing in place, Courtemanche said they are waiting for the formal approval letter from Health Minister Eric Hoskins.

The facility will be located in the former Rayside-Balfour town hall. The city's share of renovating the building will be $936,922, while the province will pay $504,443.

However, the city will have to bear the full cost of exteriors renovations, including the parking lot, walkways, concrete curbs and landscaping, expected to total between $300,000 and $400,000.

Ward 4 Coun. Evelyn Dutrisac, whose ward includes Azilda, asked Courtemanche when he expected the facility will finally open.

“When can residents expect to have the Family Health Team in place?” she asked.

Courtemanche replied that while there are no guarantees, early next year is a good bet, although late 2015 was possible if everything went really well.

In addition to the FHT clinic, an urgent care clinic is expected to open in Chelmsford this year, a private initiative being built in a former bowling alley. It will be able to accommodate five family doctors and six emergency care doctors.