Durham agency part of province-wide health announcement

DURHAM -- Clients with the Durham Region branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association can now turn to the agency for medical services.

The Durham agency is one of seven new nurse practitioner-led clinics opening across Ontario.

Provincial Health Minister Deb Matthews was at the Oshawa offices of the CMHA on Friday to announce the new initiative.

"Nurse practitioner clinics are now part of an array of clinics in Ontario," Ms. Matthews said. "This clinic services people who are particularly marginalized in our community."

Donna Kydd, program manager of primary care and nursing services, said two nurse practitioners will provide medical care to the agency's 1,600 to 2,000 clients and their families.

Clients' illnesses range from schizophrenia to mild illnesses such as anxiety, she said.

The clinic has opened, but will be fully operational in about three months, Ms. Kydd said.

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with advanced education in assessing, diagnosing and treating illnesses. The NPs will work in teams with doctors, nurses and other health-care providers.

NPs will be able to deal with chronic diseases, give annual physicals and vaccinations, Ms. Kydd noted. Other services include ordering lab tests, X-rays and other diagnostic tests, and referrals to specialists.

Paula Carere, the president of the Nurse Practitioners' Association of Ontario, said the announcement is important "particularly in times of fiscal restraint as these."

The funding "on average is $900,000 per year" for each clinic, Ms. Matthews said in an interview.

"It's a significant investment, but we absolutely know it's money well spent."

Clinics such as the Oshawa one will "take pressure off emergency rooms," Ms. Matthews stated, adding clients "know if they come here, they will get care."

The provincial government's aim is to "get wait times in emergency rooms down. We're really focused on getting wait times down," Ms. Matthews said.

"There was enormous interest in this (initiative)," Ms. Matthews said. "There were far more locations than we could fund."

Doris Grinspun, the executive director of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, said, "Nurse practitioners had a dream. The dream is simple. Use my knowledge and experience to serve people. The dream is here."

Ms. Kydd noted, "More than 11,000 Durham adults have a serious mental illness."

Of those, almost three-quarters smoke, 22 per cent have a substance abuse issue and about a quarter don't have a primary care physician, Ms. Kydd stated.

"It's an exciting time for our agency and the clientele we serve," Ms. Kydd said. "We can expand services to better serve the community. We can move in a new direction and use the knowledge and skills nurse practitioners have."