Town of Fort Erie's Progress Report on Health Care

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MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FORT ERIE (March 1, 2024) – Town of Fort Erie Council identified health care as its top priority in the 2022 – 2026 Corporate Strategic Plan, leading to substantial efforts towards improving health care delivery in Fort Erie.

Town leaders have engaged in extensive meetings and discussions with Minister of Health, Sylvia Jones, at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference, the Hospice Niagara tour, the South Niagara ground-breaking event, and the Rural Ontario Municipalities Association (ROMA) conference.

There have been regular meetings and correspondence with Niagara Health advocating for expanded hours of service at the Urgent Care Centre (UCC), and for a commitment to continue the UCC operations beyond 2028 until an alternative is provided for these vital services for patients needing immediate health care services or those who are not rostered with a physician. This provides local access to primary care and keeps emergency rooms from overcrowding.

Town staff and Council recently supported two (2) local “Expressions of Interest” for inter-disciplinary health care teams.

Last week, $2.1M in provincial funding was allocated to the Niagara Ontario Health Team (NOHT) for service expansion by Bridges CHC, which includes Fort Erie.

The Town has recruited five new physicians over the past 5 years, 2 of those within the past 2 years, and made new investments in medical equipment to support expanded operations at the Bertie Street clinic. The Town has also provided partnership funding for Rural Medicine Week, Student Assistance programs and clerkships in an effort to attract new family physicians.

The Physician Recruitment Incentive Program has been updated to attract new physicians with an estimated need for five additional physicians to address unrostered patients. The program includes funding for expanding “physician or nurse practitioner-led clinics” to address capacity needs throughout Greater Fort Erie .

The Town’s Community Health Care Services Committee (a Council Committee) meets regularly to discuss health care and hospital services in Fort Erie and has representation from Regional Public Health, Niagara Health, primary care physicians, Bridges CHC, the Indigenous community, the Council and the Town’s Health Care Coordinator.

Fort Erie has invested over $2.7 million in health-related services for residents and made contributions of $785,000 to our health and wellness initiative since 2012, a large portion of which has been made during the past several years.

The Town advanced $300,000 for the purchase by the Niagara Region of the County Fair Mall site, where the new Gilmore Lodge is being constructed, and is contributing $150,000 toward the construction of the new Hospice Niagara facility on the site.

The Town of Fort Erie has also:

advocated for policy changes to remove licensing barriers for repatriation of Canadian physicians practicing abroad;
- supported changes in policy to recognize specific international credentials to practice in Canada – these efforts have been successful with recent policy changes;
- updated approach to repatriate/attract new physicians from Western NY, the US, England, and Ireland.
expanded the outreach community clinic services by REACH Niagara (Fort Erie, Crystal Beach).
continued financial support for the youth mental health service Pathstone (at Bridges CHC) provides.
created partnerships to deliver innovative programs to local residents, such as mobile clinics, nurse practitioners, mental health, and a memory clinic.

“We are diligently working with Niagara Health and the Minister of Health to secure and expand access to primary health care on a 24/7 basis for the residents of Fort Erie. We are open to all conversations that move us toward such solutions. It is a top priority of mine and the members of Council to collaborate with all of our health care partners to make a meaningful difference in the health care available to our community.” – Mayor Wayne Redekop

Regardless of the significant challenges ahead, the Town Council and staff will continue to take a professional and sophisticated approach to building alliances and relationships with health care partners.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Kevin Beauchamp
Manager, Communications
905-871-1600

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