Nurse practitioner-led clinic opens in Innisfil to address health care gap

A new nurse practitioner-led clinic in Innisfil aims to fill a gap in health care as more than a million people in Ontario struggle to access a primary care provider.

The space inside the Rizzardo Centre will provide several different services, with multiple nurse practitioners (NP) on-site and a dietician and counselling services.

"There's a huge need for primary care services right across the province and here within this region as well. And we're just playing a small part in helping individuals that don't have a primary care provider attached to care," said Kevin Macleod, the clinic's executive director.

The Innisfil space is now the Georgian Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic, the second to open in Simcoe County. In 2011, a similar clinic was opened in Barrie, supporting thousands without a family doctor.

The Innisfil clinic is expected to care for more than 3,000 patients by next year.

"So, it's a team of health care providers who are providing care as a team, but be attached to a particular NP and that NP will be seeing that patient throughout their lifetime, so providing comprehensive care very similar to what you'd see in any family practice model," said Macleod.

That's because nurse practitioners can assess, diagnose and prescribe medications to patients, supporting various patient needs, which the Town of Innisfil says is needed as the community grows.

"The town's been hearing from our community that having primary care services closer to home is very important. Having another option comes so close to home is going to be of tremendous value, and we're excited to welcome them here," Nicole Bowman, Innisfil's director of operations.

The clinic is now officially open and operational, and those interested in making an appointment can contact Health Care Connect online.