Wasaga Beach welcomes new family doctor
Wasaga Beach welcomes its new family doctor with open arms and expanded clinic services.
The town's newest family physician, Dr. Jacob Jeffrey McGavin, began by taking over an existing family medicine practice in Wasaga Beach Thursday. It will ensure that over 750 residents continue to have access to a family doctor.
McGavin expects to add 150 patients to his roster in the coming months.
"I feel great about establishing roots and providing care in a place that is very connected and proactive. The town of Wasaga Beach has been supportive of my move and it has been a pleasure to deal with staff at town hall," McGavin said.
Through a recently topped-up recruitment strategy with the province funding its South Georgian Bay Ontario Health Team (SGBOHT) and Georgian Bay Family Health Team (GBFHT), Wasaga will expand services at the town’s 160 Beck Street medical centre and after-hours clinic.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
This is the result of the council's proactive recruitment efforts, including a recently topped-up $100,000 municipal family physician incentive program.
"I’m impressed with the actions the municipality is taking, working with other partners in healthcare, including the SGBOHT and GBFHT, to expand services through the Wasaga Beach Medical Clinic," said McGavin. "Having a state-of-the-art medical centre and after-hours clinic in a small town is as important to me, as a new family physician, as it is to my current and future patients and residents in Wasaga Beach.
"It means that patients have more options to seek the care they need, when they need it and achieve better health outcomes. I’m looking forward to becoming a part of the network of family physicians and healthcare partners that are committed to caring for and serving the needs of families in Wasaga Beach," he said.
Mayor Brian Smith said he is thrilled to see a new doctor in Wasaga Beach.
"This is further evidence that our plan is working. Topping up the Town’s $100,000 family physician incentive program to be more in-line with neighboring communities and re-opening the Wasaga Beach Medical Centre and After Hours Clinic was a priority for this Council, and we got it done," said Smith.
There is no waitlist to join McGavin's patient roster. Residents who do not currently have a family doctor are encouraged to seek non-urgent care through the Wasaga Beach Medical Clinic at this time. To ensure local residents who are most in need of a family physician get served first, McGavin will be working with the clinic directly to recruit new patients as soon as he is ready to begin growing his practice.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Potential tornado 'surreal' for residents who witnessed damaging storm in southern Ontario
Witnessing a potential tornado was 'surreal' for residents who caught a glimpse of the damaging storm in southern Ontario on Wednesday night.
Was this the bug that stung you? Wasp sightings revive murder-hornet concerns; no detections confirmed
As temperatures rise out of a mild El Nino winter, Canada's buggy season is already upon us again, and this year, the bugs are looking especially big.
WestJet planning new fare category for travellers willing to forgo carry-on bag
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
'We'll need all hands on deck': Details emerge after deadly boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
Adding just 10% ultraprocessed foods to healthy diets may raise risk of cognitive decline, stroke
Eating more ultraprocessed foods is linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline and stroke, even if a person is trying to adhere to a Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet or the MIND diet, a new study found.
Bangkok hospital says most seriously injured from turbulence-hit flight need spinal operations
Many of the more seriously injured people who were on the Singapore Airlines flight that hit severe turbulence need operations on their spines, a Bangkok hospital said Thursday.
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished.
Charlie Colin, founding member of the pop-rock band Train, dies at 58
Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like 'Drops of Jupiter' and 'Meet Virginia,' has died. He was 58.
Tiny plastic shards found in human testicles, study says
Human testicles contain microplastics and nanoplastics at levels three times higher than animal testes and human placentas, a new small study found.