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The Lakeshore Community NPLC is proud to share that we received strong community support of our Expression of Interest to expand team-based primary care services in the Municipality of Lakeshore.

The funding announced in Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, includes a plan to connect more people with primary care closer to home, in communities across the province. The funding will:

• Enable multidisciplinary care teams to provide direct care to vulnerable and marginalized people as well as those without a primary care provider across Ontario 
• Help connect people to care when they need it and avoid unnecessary emergency department visits 
• Improve health outcomes by increasing preventive care and screening procedures

Our EOI demonstrated alignment with the following principles:

• Increasing access to care for unattached patients, patients with poorer health outcomes/health status.
• Ability to provide care to equity deserving populations with a demonstrated focus on reaching patients with poorer health outcomes.
• Efficient, effective and skills-based governance.
• Team based models of interprofessional primary care that maximize efficacy, scope of practice and how the team works together.
• Integration and collaboration with the broader health care system, including through Ontario Health Teams, as well as a commitment to participate in population-based planning for health service delivery.
• A commitment to using available data and evaluation for continuous quality improvement.
• The use of digital health to support care delivery and provide Ontarians with choice in how they interact with the health care system.

Funding announcements are expected Fall 2023.

The Lakeshore Community NPLC is proud to be partnering with the Windsor-Essex OHT and MINT Memory Clinic (https://mintmemory.ca). The MINT Memory Clinic model trains teams of health care providers to deliver high-quality memory care through a standardized, nationally-accredited training program. After training, teams continue to receive further mentorship and support to establish a MINT Memory Clinic within their communities. Through this model, primary care teams are building local capacity to care for persons living with dementia and support caregivers, too.

“Every day, people living with dementia and other memory disorders go undiagnosed or under-treated, placing avoidable strain on individuals and their families.

MINT Memory Clinics are helping to close these gaps by offering timely access to compassionate memory care and navigational supports, all in one place that’s close to home.” MINT Memory Clinic website Talk to your Nurse Practitioner for more information.

[April 1, Belle River, Ontario] – We are thrilled to announce that Lakeshore Community Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic, a member of the Alliance for Healthier Communities, has received funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) for our Social Prescribing for Better Mental Health Project. This is part of the recently announced funding of 28 Ontario-based, Community Health Centres, Indigenous Primary Healthcare Organizations, Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics and Community-governed Family Health Teams to support the implementation of social prescribing initiatives and enhance community-based mental health promotion programs.

“Social prescribing is about listening deeply, providing necessary supports, and empowering people to be co-creators in improving their own mental health and wellbeing, all while becoming more connected to their communities,” said Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health at the announcement. “As we work with provinces and territories to enhance our universal health care system and improve access to mental health and substance use supports, this funding will help enhance our capacity to improve mental health outcomes in communities across Ontario, particularly for populations that face barriers.”

Social Prescribing connects people with non-clinical programs and services to support their health and wellbeing. This can include access to arts, culture, nature, healthy food, housing and social connection, among other programs that can complement clinical care. It seeks to address people’s social needs through community partnerships that align with clients’ interests and goals.

“We know from our research that by supporting people to create social connections through social prescribing, we can help people improve their mental health and reduce the workload on primary care providers so they can see more patients,” said Sarah Hobbs, CEO of the Alliance for Healthier Communities about the project. “The positive impacts of social prescribing go well beyond each person’s individual health and wellbeing, for entire communities and the healthcare system at a wider level.”

Kate Bolohan, NP Lead, also spoke about the significance of this support for the Lakeshore Community NPLC and their community. “The Social Prescribing for Better Mental Health Project will allow us to work collaboratively with community partners to provide those people most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with social connection supports and mental health resources. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with our community partners and to be able to provide our community with the support they need to thrive.”

For media inquiries or to learn more about the Social Prescribing Project, please contact Victoria Pizzuti, Health Promoter/Link Worker at Victoria.pizzuti@communitynplc.ca.

ABOUT THE LAKESHORE COMMUNITY NPLC 

Lakeshore Community NPLC is a non-profit organization that provides primary health care services to individuals and families in the Municipality of Lakeshore. We are committed to improving the health and wellbeing of our patients and our community through a range of services, programs, and initiatives. As a member of the Alliance for Healthier Communities, we work collaboratively with community partners to address the social determinants of health and provide our patients with comprehensive, patient-centred care.

ABOUT THE ALLIANCE FOR HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES

The Alliance for Healthier Communities is the voice of a vibrant network of community-governed primary health care organizations that serve diverse communities across the province. These organizations share a commitment to advancing health equity through the delivery of comprehensive primary health care. https://www.allianceon.org