When Dr. Julie Levesque-Taylor is at her child’s swim practices, she is often on her laptop, checking patient bloodwork, reviewing scans or dealing with paperwork.
Levesque-Taylor said today’s announcement by the provincial government to invest $1.7 million into a collaborative care clinic in Saint Andrews will bring relief.
“It feels nothing short of amazing, honestly,” she said, speaking with reporters. “The faith that this government has put in this model — not just adding more dollars to the budget so the doctors can get paid more for what they do so that they’re at parity with the neighboring provinces and the rest of Canada — but the infrastructure investments.”
For Levesque-Taylor, the weight of running a practice and not having the supportive resources can be difficult.
“There are so many costs — hidden costs — that when people look at what family physicians make for a living, they don’t realize how much overhead we actually pay at the end of the day,” she said.
She said the administrative burden is heavy — what has become known as “paperweight.”
“That is the reality of family physicians is all that administrative burden,” she said. “It’s spreading the burden, [it] is having a [registered nurse] who can go through the labs and just take care of all the stuff that’s normal,” she said.
Levesque-Taylor, alongside Dr. Brian Peer and his wife and practice manager Annette Harland, have been working to facilitate its opening — bringing Charlotte County its third collaborative care clinic.
It will also be able to take on all patients within the clinic’s geographical area over the next six to 12 months.
“We expect more than 600 patients will likely [be] added to this clinic, and we’ll have the ability to make sure that the 1,700 patients from Dr. Peer [will] transition really smoothly,” said Premier Susan Holt, speaking with reporters.
Three new physicians are expected to arrive in September, according to Horizon Health Network (HHN) president and CEO Margaret Melanson.
Dr. Madison Borsella, Dr. Grayson Gould and Dr. Madison Stevens will arrive in the fall. Melanson said they couldn’t be at the announcement because they were writing their practice exams.
“We have people coming on board. We’re not looking — people have committed to coming here,” said Health Minister Dr. John Dornan. “We have space committed. So those are the two ingredients. But it doesn’t happen overnight. So we’ll wait for those physicians to finish their exams or come here late summer. We’ll finish the space here. And the rest is history.”
The province recently signed a physician services agreement totalling $270 million over four years. It also intends to invest $710 million in health care; $30 million has been allocated for 12 more collaborative care clinics.
This is the third announcement this year. In February, Holt said the Fundy Health Centre would also become a collaborative care clinic, which would onboard roughly 1,100 patients in that region.
Annette Harland, who is also a municipal councillor for the Town of Saint Andrews, spoke of the wellness centre’s long history in the community.
“It was formerly known as the Health Centre and originated through a generous funding donation established by Lady Beaverbrook,” Harland said, addressing the crowd gathered. “As many of you know, Lady Beaverbrook was a summer resident in Saint Andrews and was a very generous patron [of] this community. Through the Sir James Dunn Foundation, she funded this arena, our high school, the fire station, as well as the original health centre, which was located on Sophia Street.”
That version of the clinic opened in 1974, and, through the years, has served many patients. In 2008, ownership of the clinic was transferred to the Town of Saint Andrews.
“About eight years ago, the council of the day, under the leadership of former mayor Doug Naish, decided that the health centre needed a new facility, and work began to renovate this former bowling alley,” she said.
Under new leadership, Harland and former mayor Brad Henderson worked to recruit another primary care physician, connecting with Levesque-Taylor.
“Fortunately for us, she had always wanted to return to the province — specifically to this region — and in May 2021, the Saint Andrews Wellness Centre officially opened,” Harland said.
Harland explained the clinic — in addition to two primary care physicians — provides mental health services, social development services, public safety support, a consulting physiotherapist and hospice.
It will see the addition of a registered nurse, two licensed practical nurses, a phlebotomist, a licensed counselling therapist, a patient care attendant and two additional administrative staff.
In October, the town signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with HHN to allow renovations within the clinical space.
“In appreciation of the efforts of the council, including investments in the current facility, Horizon Health Network (HHN) has agreed to fund the renovations now needed to allow for extra service providers,” said Coun. Lee Heenan, reading background information on the motion.
Heenan said HHN will provide funding for the renovation in exchange for not charging rent for a five-year period. The cost of the renovations is between $250,000 and $300,000.
The council moved to a closed session under section 68(1)(C) of the Local Governance Act. Council voted to approve the MOU after returning to an open session.
“I really am grateful to the leadership that’s been shown by the town here, the leadership that’s been shown by the health care team, and their willingness to take on all of their neighbours and provide that support,” Holt said.
Dr. John Dornan, an endocrinologist and health minister, said this ensures that health care is available not only to those who are without primary care, but those wishing to come live and work in the Saint Andrews area.
“These are health care professionals and support staff who are making a big difference in the lives of people every single day,” he said.
