There’s good news for patrons of the mobile health hub in Port Sydney.
The Town of Huntsville is throwing its support behind the continuation of the Muskoka Community Health Hubs on a permanent basis. It is also providing space for an exam room at the Port Sydney fire hall.
Up until now a mobile unit has been making the rounds in the area but it is presenting challenges, council heard at its December 19 meeting. The outfitted RV is difficult to cool in the summer and even harder to heat in the winter. It is also proving difficult for the elderly and people with physical disabilities to access.
Director of Operations and Protective Services Steve Hernen said he and Town CAO Denise Corry met with hub representatives. He told council there would be no significant expenses associated with the hub operating out of the hall two days a week.
“We looked at it from the fact that it’s a community service and most of the expenses we incur down there we’d incur anyway such as parking lot maintenance and heating the building. We didn’t see any new expenses. The only thing we’ve identified, and we’re going to work with them on, is cleaning. If we have to start doing some more cleaning because they’re successful… they’ll look after that cost,” he said.
Health hubs were established through Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care funding in 2014. The pilot project is set to end in August 2018 and a submission will accompany municipal letters of endorsement asking the Ministry to fund the initiative on a permanent basis as part of the Family Health Team base operating budget, effective April 1, 2018.
The hubs aim to provide primary health care in rural areas of the community where those without a physician, or seasonal residents who have a physician elsewhere, are able to access primary care. Secondary care is also provided through collaboration with the District of Muskoka, Family Health Teams, public health and other care agencies.
Muskoka Community Health Hubs are a collaborative partnership between Algonquin Family Health Team, Cottage Country Family Health Team, Health Links (led by the District Municipality of Muskoka), and various rural communities, according to a report provided to Huntsville Council.
The initiative has had an annual budget of approximately $900,000, three quarters of it for staffing, council heard. The hubs are run by registered nurse practitioners. The funding request will remain at the current rate. Over $4 million has been raised by the community the hubs serve for capital equipment and buildings.
Council also heard that more than 1,800 patients have registered with a hub, which includes locations in Wahta First Nation, Port Carling, Dorset, Severn Bridge, Port Sydney and Vankoughnet. The hubs have seen more than 900 patients with primary care providers elsewhere and as of September 2017 over 15,000 patient visits were logged collectively, contributing to a reduction in hospital emergency room visits. Their goal is to register 2,300 patients by August 1, 2018.
Muskoka Community Health Hubs has three permanent facilities located in Dorset, Wahta and Port Carling. Some of those facilities require significant maintenance costs, which has become an ongoing concern. Council heard that the budget for the health hubs includes some funds for renting space, provided the space is small and the rate is not exorbitant.
Council also heard that when the initiative started in the fall of 2014 the scope of nurse practitioners was different than what it is today. Since 2014 the mandate of nurse practitioners has expanded, which has enabled Muskoka Community Health Hubs to reduce the number of collaborative physician complement from four to one, thereby reducing costs.
Councillor Jason FitzGerald suggested that private partnerships could be developed. Representatives of the hubs welcomed the idea provided any donations made were without strings attached.
Huntsville Mayor Scott Aitchison lauded the initiative.“I think it’s important for us to remember at the end of the day here that these couple of thousand people that are signed up didn’t have access to primary care. That’s a ridiculous circumstance in one of the richest nations in the history of the world. So, thank you for what you’re doing. I think it’s important for the health of our community.”
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