August 10, 2022
Dear Gateway Clients and Community;
It is with mixed emotions that Gateway Community Health Centre announces that Dr. Kelly Moher has retired from Gateway Community Health Centre after 30 years of providing care in our community.
Rather than dwell on what we have lost, we shall focus on what lies ahead, an opportunity to grow our team, literally and professionally, ensure continued access to care, and improve the client experience. Our team is actively working to create as smooth a plan as possible that will sustain us until we have a new physician. Our priority is to maintain current service levels for all existing clients without compromising the high standard of care that we pride ourselves on. Implementing successful change takes time and effort, and patience, from both our Gateway Team and our clients, and so we are asking you to join us as we move forward together.
What does this mean for Gateway’s clients and their regular care at Gateway CHC? That’s the best part, our clients will continue to receive care at Gateway Community Health Centre and continue to book appointments with their Primary Care Provider, or a member of our allied health team, just as they have always done. We are finalizing the process to redistribute our client volume more evenly across our six Primary Care Providers. In the past, our clients have been assigned or rostered to a family physician, going forward, our clients may be rostered to either a family physician or to a nurse practitioner. Whether your Primary Care Provider is a physician or a nurse practitioner, they will provide comprehensive primary care within the limits of their education and experience. As always,
our primary care providers will consult with one another or specialists to ensure that clients receive the highest quality of care. At Gateway CHC, we also have the benefit of allied health professionals (nursing professionals, dietitian, social worker, respiratory therapist and chiropodist) who can provide added expertise for your care. Starting next week, we will begin to communicate to clients and inform them who will be their Primary Care Provider.
We have been actively working to add a third family physician to our interprofessional team. Given the physician shortage in Ontario, and in particular Hastings- Prince Edward, this process could take up to a year. In the meantime, another full-time nurse practitioner has just joined our team and in the fall, we plan to welcome visiting family physicians to our team. New team members bring new perspectives, fresh ideas and new ways to achieve the best possible health outcomes for our clients and our communities. While these are changing times, they can also be exciting times, and we hope you will embrace our growth, and welcome the change just as we have.
We look forward to seeing all our clients again soon. We have included a “Frequently Asked
Questions” sheet and of course we are always available to discuss client concerns.
Be well,
Mayo Hawco
Executive Director
mhawco@gatewaychc.org
