When Barry Armstrong was 22 and working as a repair apprentice at Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., he didn’t think much about his health.
members have already lost access to primary care in the past few years because of practitioners retiring or leaving health care, and the upcoming derostering likely won’t be the last. For now, they are still among the thousands of people whose future health care is uncertain. It’s a dire situation that
“I can guarantee you that if there was a loss of this same proportion of patients in Southern Ontario, or maybe even the same number of patients, it would have had the minister there the same day.” It’s a quirky anecdote, but it illustrates the kind of ingenuity that has kept GHC humming all these years. The outdated design of the original building means the nurses and doctors tend to work in cramped quarters, so leadership has had to come up with creative solutions to use every square metre to its maximum potential. That’s why the building services staff work out of an alcove under the stairs that was retrofitted into an office reminiscent of Harry Potter’s bedroom.
Upstairs at another GHC family practice, nurse Gillian Schryer prepares a vaccine for Holden Siitse, an eight-year-old who is here to catch up on some of the routine immunizations he missed during the pandemic. The local health unit recently sent suspension warning notices to all students in the area who areHolden’s grandmother, Cheryl Siitse, brought him to the appointment and had hoped she would be able to see her family doctor right after. Ms.
Surgical nurse Lauren Levesque assists head and neck surgeon Dr. Micmonaco at the GHC's outpatient surgery clinic. Minor procedures, such as cyst removals or vasectomies, are done at the centre to reduce strain on the Sault Area Hospital. If one of the centre’s patients have an urgent concern and need an appointment, they can access the centre’s same-day clinic. There’s diagnostic imaging on site and a blood lab, as well as a social worker and other outpatient programs.
“All of those sources of where we’ve been able to provide care basically dried up,” Ms. Silvano said.