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Clinic on the move

While there isn’t a date set in stone, a local clinic should be in its new space by February. The Fort William Clinic has been on McKellar Street for more than 65 years.
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After more than 65 years, the Fort William Clinic will be moving to a new location next year. (Jamie Smith, tbnewswatch.com)

While there isn’t a date set in stone, a local clinic should be in its new space by February.

The Fort William Clinic has been on McKellar Street for more than 65 years. But what was once a small family practice now brings more than 300 people a day to what is otherwise a quiet street on the city's South side.

With more than 16,000 patients and an expanded roster that includes nurse practitioners, dietitians and social workers, the Fort William Family Health Team is moving to a new home on Golf Links Road.

"We've really grown out of this space and we'd like to grow our team even more," lead physician Jennifer Atwood said.

The move was supposed to have taken place in October but construction delays have pushed that date back. The 18,000 square foot new space though is shaping up. Executive director Julie Campbell walked through the nearly completed third floor pointing features of the new clinic.

"They're large enough to accommodate a family visit," she said pointing to the new examination rooms.

"Instead of just an individual person, which is what we're doing at our old clinic."

The old clinic also had several additions through the years, which made for tight spaces and a sometimes labyrinth-like walk back to the reception area. The new space is wide and bright. The interior has also been designed to resemble the Northwestern Ontario landscape, complete with large windows that look out onto trees.

"We wanted to bring the outside in," Campbell said.

It's also going to be much more accessible from parking to ramps to wide hallways and doors,
something that couldn't be done at the current clinic. Atwood said while it's sad that the clinic has to leave the South core, there just wasn't enough space there anymore. The clinic will keep its Fort William name though to remember the past she said.

Atwood apologizes to patients wondering when the move is going to happen. She said to check the Fort William Family Health Team website for updates. http://fortwilliamfhn.ca/





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