The Peterborough Family Health Team has launched a new clinic aimed at supporting residents without access to a family doctor or nurse practitioner.
The Connect Clinic will provide interim care for patients in Peterborough and the surrounding county while they wait to be matched with a permanent primary care provider. Services will include acute, chronic and preventative care, delivered by local family physicians and nurse practitioners.
The clinic will also introduce mental health navigation services in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association, helping patients access appropriate supports.
Officials say the clinic is designed to address ongoing gaps in access to primary care across the region. The program will also help patients build a complete medical record that can be transferred to a future provider once a long-term placement is secured.
The initiative brings together physicians from several local Family Health Organizations and works alongside community partners, including the Peterborough Community Health Centre and nurse practitioner-led clinics in the region.
The Connect Clinic is funded by Ontario Health and operates in partnership with Health Care Connect and the Peterborough Ontario Health Team.
Officials say the clinic will also help ease pressure on the broader health-care system while improving access to timely, in-person care for unattached patients.
