THUNDER BAY — A Thunder Bay medical clinic that's not funded by OHIP has introduced a membership program for its clients who see nurse practitioners.
The nurse practitioners at the Fort W Medical Clinic on Victoria Avenue East provide a range of services, including minor illness management, routine check-ups and vaccinations.
Clinic officials did not respond to inquiries from TBnewswatch, but a recent letter to patients about changes to clinic fees said, "in recent months, we have been facing a significant increase in costs associated with providing these services. As a private clinic, we do not receive any government funding and are not funded by OHIP."
The letter stated that in order to continue providing the current level of care and cover its operating costs, the clinic has instituted a membership program that will provide "faster access to appointments, longer appointment times, and additional services at a low cost."
Patients who sign up for a full year will pay a fee of $100, while a monthly automated subscription option will cost $10 a month.
"We believe that this program represents excellent value for our patients, and we hope that you will consider enrolling," the letter said.
As of May 4, all patients coming to the clinic must sign up in order to continue seeing a nurse practitioner.
The clinic has urged clients to sign up quickly, noting that it will soon be opening up registration for new patients on its waitlist if there are remaining vacancies.
According to the Ontario health ministry, OHIP currently provides only limited coverage for certain non-physician practitioners.
Some services provided by a nurse practitioner are covered by OHIP provided that the nurse practitioner is part of a Family Health Team funded by the ministry, or is part of a nurse practitioner-led clinic funded by the ministry, such as the Lakehead Nurse Practitioner-led clinic at the former McKellar Hospital site.
Jules Tupker, co-chair of the Thunder Bay Health Coalition, said he was "quite shocked" to hear about the membership plan.
"We've been raising concerns about privatization and the increasing costs of health care for private citizens. All of a sudden, to find out now that to go to a nurse practitioner because there aren't enough doctors, because the government isn't funding hospitals and doctors and health care enough ... just proves what we're saying, that the public health care system in Ontario is going to be wiped out by this government."
The Fort W Medical Clinic opened in 2021.
Pharmacist Jessy Sahota stated at the time that research done by the clinic showed there was a great need for services to be brought to that part of the city.
"We thought we would, kind of, go against the grain and bring high-end medical services to this area which was highly underserved, so that was the motivation for coming to this particular area here.”
She also said that "in the future, not only will we stick with the services here, we’ll also try to partner with other services in the community to make sure that we’re taking care of patients in a kind of holistic approach and making sure that all their needs are being taken care of.”
