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Inside this Issue: Embrace the Energizing Essence of Spring, Outdoor Fitness and Recreation, Health Benefits of Gardening, A Recipe Straight from Your Garden, Seasonal Allergy Management, Wellness Events and Resources

The clinic is honoured to be a recipient of the Lakeshore Community Benefit Fund Grant. The funding will be used to continue and expand the Social Prescribing program. Read more about it here. Thank you to the Municipality of Lakeshore for funding local projects that improve the health and wellness of the community.

From the Municipality of Lakeshore:
The Municipality of Lakeshore is committed to nurturing a unified municipality that sees possibilities, inspires innovation and realizes potential. The Municipality of Lakeshore is committed to the growth and betterment of the community. In support of these initiatives, Lakeshore offers the Lakeshore Community Benefit Fund Grant. The grant provides funding for organizations seeking financial assistance that directly benefits the general public within the Municipality of Lakeshore.

“We are very proud to support the projects and programs that are carried out by Lakeshore’s community organizations,” said Lakeshore Mayor Tracey Bailey. “As a municipality, we’re dedicated to nurturing a vibrant and thriving community, and we know the important role that these organizations play in helping us achieve that goal.”

Based on the applications, it is estimated that the programs and projects will positively impact over 8,000 residents and visitors.

The 2023 Community Benefit Fund, which opened to applicants earlier this year, saw significant uptake from local organizations. To ensure all applicants could receive a portion of their requested funds, Council supported a recommendation to approve grants up to a maximum of $15,000 in 2023. The policy will also be updated to limit grant applications to $5,000 each in future years.

For a full list of applicants, read the Report to Council online.

NP Lead, Kate Bolohan, represented our clinic at the 2023 NPAO Queen’s Park Advocacy Day. The purpose of this event was to discuss the priorities of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Ontario (NPAO) with (Members of Provincial Parliament) MPP’s .

These priorities include:

Retention through adequate compensation and funding models

• The lack of appropriate funding models limits the number of public positions and practice settings for Nurse Practitioners, preventing them from practicing where they are needed most. In addition, the public pay scale does not reflect the fact that Nurse Practitioners are highly trained and educated professionals with years of experience and Masters’ degrees. Low and inequitable compensation in public sectors pushes NPs to work in private clinics where they are compensated fairly for their work and advanced training. Ontarians suffer when the public healthcare system can’t retain talent and when qualified healthcare providers are not able to practice where the patients are.

Supporting Quality Long Term Care

• As a result of their graduate-level preparation, Nurse Practitioners are poised to improve the quality of life of residents living in long term care settings. They can diagnose and issue prescriptions, helping to bring quality medical care into these environments which have suffered during the pandemic. As well, they are able to deliver MAID, supporting high-quality end-of-life care for Ontarians.

Improving Mental Health for Ontarians

• Nurse Practitioners focus on a comprehensive approach to care that focuses on all aspects of patients health and wellbeing. With the ability to diagnose and prescribe medications, Nurse Practitioners are able to bring mental health care and support to their communities, reducing barriers in accessing this critical care.