Rossmore clinic will close
Administrator | Sep 08, 2014 | Comments 10
Due to a continued low volume of patients, the Rossmore Upper County Clinic will close and Dr. Gord Holton will be relocating to Wellington at the end of October.
The Upper County Clinic was established five years ago in partnership with the Prince Edward Family Health Team [PEFHT] with the vision of attracting a team of at least three physicians to the practice location.
After years of recruiting patients who were willing to travel to Rossmore for medical services, Dr. Holton said “the patient volume is still not enough to be able to split my practice with another doctor, never mind a third physician as well.”
Prince Edward Family Health Team Executive Director Stephanie MacLaren said “It was becoming financially irresponsible to continue to support the location.
“Our goal is to offer one-stop collaborative care with multiple members of the PEFHT team. We simply could never offer that in Rossmore. Patients will have increased access to the full range of healthcare providers at the Wellington location.”
Family Physicians increasingly recognize the benefit to patient care when physicians and allied health providers practice in an integrated team environment, both in terms of access and improved health outcomes, said MacLaren. Additionally, physicians working with other physicians can cover for each other to allow for the flexibility required to cover the emergency room and look after their patients when they are admitted to hospital at PECMH. The Upper County Clinic in Rossmore was created with the intent that three physicians would be able to attract patients to their practices and function as team.
Holton’s relocation to the Sandbanks Medical Clinic in Wellington is set for Oct. 31.
Filed Under: Local News
About the Author:
Paul,
And how does all this effect you?
How far are you from your doc.?
Rural living is fine I’ve done it for decades, it’s the weather and the road conditions that begets the motive to have a doc. close. Some secondary roads in the Co. are sometimes impassable with drifting snow.
Annonymous: I hear you. At least the doc. hasn’t left the county.
And that folks is Rural Living..
I live 40 mins. from Wellington. I live 15 mins. from Picton. I was “assigned” to Dr. Gibson in Rossmore. He moved to Belleville and I was given Dr. Holton. Now Holton is moving to Wellington and I have to drive another 15 mins. A 40 min. drive to a family doctor is unrealistic in winter. I am a healthy 60 yr. old but my heart goes out to young mothers with sick toddlers. Our emergency room will feel the brunt. I would never have moved here had I realized I would be on my 3rd “family doctor” in 5 yrs. I have paid into the system for over 40 yrs. and this is a ridiculous situation.
Gary,
Hmmm, just as I thought you can walk to your Dr’s. in rain, shine, sleet, snow, fire and brimstone or without a mouthful of hail Mary’s. Perhaps it should be those who live as close who should pay more. Just a thought.
YOUR QUOTE:
“Are you suggesting a drive from Rossmore to Wellington is unreasonable?”
In reverse: I’m suggesting a drive from Wellington to Rossmore is not unreasonable if one lives in Wellington.
However, the KEY sentence from article:
“” After years of recruiting patients who were willing to travel to Rossmore for medical services … “”
NOTE: who were WILLING TO travel ….
The patients for the previous Dr. in Rossmore were pruned and gathered up from the whole surrounding area of Belleville, Trenton (armed forces base), Foxboro, PEC, etc. filling the practice. But many were not be willing to cross the Whitney Bridge to Rossmore, as I expect that same prob remains today.
The closest Dr. is the preferred for good reasons. The fact is that ppl are being shifted once again and a clinic is being closed. In winter the shorter drive is the wiser choice.
But hey, Gary you only have a block to drive to the Dr. through drifting snow, ice, fog and falling trees with a child who has a temp. of 104F and has difficulty breathing, not much concern about travel.
And it’s the worst system to go to overcrowded clinic anywhere to sit in the waiting room filled with sick ppl. for hours. You get sicker. Why? profits, grants, subsidies? Another nail in the coffin of the county health system. imo.
We already are paying for services and we’re losing them.
Hippocrates said: “Let food be thy medicine”. Today it’s: Garbage in, garbage out. Or this one: You are what you eat > You eat a food that is cancer causing you become cancer. Simple as that.
Not far. How far do the folks in Cressy drive to see their doctor? It can’t be a block away for everyone.
Tisk, tisk Gary
How far are you from your dr. office? That is the real question here.
Why do you have to get a “new family doctor”? Dr. Holton is still practicing in the County!!
What’s ridiculous about this??
Are you suggesting a drive from Rossmore to Wellington is unreasonable? Is health care expected to be at everyone’s back door? If so are you prepared to pay for that?
anonymous,
YOUR QUOTE:
“Isn’t that dandy”
Yes, a double dandy. Dr. Gibson took most all of his PEC patients with him to Belleville, when he left Rossmore. So I’m not surprised about this news.
I hear what you’re saying. You can still have Dr. Holton, but you will have to travel to Wellington. Let’s hope they let you find another new doctor in this same vicinity > like in Belleville or Trenton if that is what you’d like. And one that’s taking new patients.
I’d expect that PEC is not the only place that this is happening to in regards to health care providers / clinics.
Best not get sick to need a doctor. Best to put them out of the sickness / drug Rx business.
However, one still needs a family doctor.
Isn’t that dandy.This will be the 4th time I have had to move “clinics” since I relocated here. I am young senior citizen who moved to the county 6 yrs. ago. Had I known I would be constantly searching for a family physician I might have reconsidered this move. There is no continuity of service and now I have to get to know yet another “office manager” and “family doctor”. This is ridiculous if you think about it…