‘There has been a lot of hard work and time and heart and soul that’s been poured into this place, (which) … represents the future of family medicine,’ says local doctor<\/p>\n
Orillia’s long-awaited Family Medicine Teaching Unit (FMTU) and\u00a0medical clinic opened today in the former Skid Watson YMCA building.<\/p>\n
A large group of people gathered for the formal opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony in the 7,000 square-foot space within the Friden\u00a0Health and Wellness Centre at 300 Peter St. N.<\/p>\n
“It takes a village of community leaders, families, patients, caregivers to come together and say\u00a0we need better\u00a0in the health and well-being with primary care,” Carmine Stumpo, president and CEO\u00a0of Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH), told the crowd gathered in the reception area Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n
“It takes a village of builders to have a vision to come together and create a facility that will nurture doctors.”<\/p>\n
Stumpo credited doctors\u00a0Erika Catford and Heather Laakso, the co-directors of the FMTU, who had the original vision and have been working on the idea since 2022, overcoming many obstacles to bring it to life.<\/p>\n
“They have done it in such a way to position this program for long-term success that will benefit residents for years to come,” Stumpo said.<\/p>\n
Laakso said hard work has paid off.<\/p>\n
“There has been a lot of hard work and time and heart and soul that’s been poured into this place from so many people,” she said.\u00a0“This place represents the future of health care in Orillia and the future of family medicine.”<\/p>\n
Catford joked that it’s a wonder anyone picks up her phone calls as she’s reached out\u00a0to\u00a0many people to bring the FMTU into existence.<\/p>\n
“We are all here together as many hands have built this place, literally and figurately, and I want to thank you. Our partnerships with the University of Toronto, our partnerships with the community \u2014 it’s been an incredible journey,” she said.<\/p>\n
“It’s my honour to work here and continue to teach and see the future that’s standing here. It’s going to make family medicine amazing in this community, as it always has been, and build on our rich history of teaching.”<\/p>\n
Dr. Kim McIntosh, chief of staff at OSMH, physician lead for the Couchiching\u00a0Family Health Team, and a family physician, had tears in her eyes as she approached the podium.<\/p>\n
“These are tears of joy and pride. I’m so honoured to be here today. This is overwhelming and remarkable. Talk about a village. This is a true success story for our people, our community,” she said.<\/p>\n
“The launch of the Orillia Family Medicine Teaching Unit is truly a milestone for our region and a testament to our strength of partnerships.”<\/p>\n
The FMTU is partnered with the University of Toronto’s Temerty\u00a0Faculty\u00a0of Medicine. It ensures the medical residents working at the FMTU receive\u00a0world-class training and also supports the physician teachers.<\/p>\n
It’s also built on a long-standing history of mentorship between OSMH and family physicians, working on strong and compassionate primary care, McIntosh said.<\/p>\n
The new teaching unit is partnered with the Couchiching\u00a0Family Health Team and the Couchiching Ontario Health Team. Their commitment to integrate community-based care has been instrumental in bringing this vision to light, she said.<\/p>\n
“This unit is more than just a clinic. It’s a hub of collaboration and learning and ways of knowing,” she said with a nod to the participation of members of local Indigenous communities who attended and opened the clinic with a prayer and an Eagle song.<\/p>\n
Indigenous community support came from Chippewas of Rama First Nation,\u00a0Beausoleil First Nation and others.<\/p>\n
Dr. Stuart Murdoch, a family doctor and program director at the University of Toronto’s department of family and community medicine, works out of the Barrie Family Medicine Teaching Unit.<\/p>\n
“Over the last three years, it’s been really exciting, but I know that unknown phone call comes in a lot,” he said to laughter of the gathering, referring to Catford’s phone calls.<\/p>\n
Murdoch said the University of Toronto’s department of family and community medicine is now one of the largest programs in the world. It trains more than\u00a0400 medical residents per year, four of whom are now in Orillia. The plan is to grow it further.<\/p>\n
Ensuring the teaching unit is a success starts with having a supportive community, Murdoch\u00a0said.<\/p>\n
“I look out here today and all I see is community and the need and the want to make this work,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You need a medical staff, and the staff here have opened up to learning\u00a0and teaching family doctors. This makes the learning environment so attractive to residents here.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
Murdoch said the team of family physicians in the area is strong because they are organized through the Ontario Health Team, are part of\u00a0a family health team, they all work at the hospital and they all have experience teaching residents through the Rural Ontario Medical Program.<\/p>\n
“Primary care is in a good spot here and it’s only going to get better,” he said.<\/p>\n
Dr. Daniel Marinescu\u00a0is one of four medical residents in the inaugural class of the Orillia FMTU.<\/p>\n
“I’ve had the opportunity to train in many communities across Canada and the United States and I can confidently say the care, desire to teach and level of commitment to education in the community that I have found here is second to none. This new teaching unit offers an incredible environment for learners,” he said.<\/p>\n
Mayor Don McIsaac said he is pleased to see the long-awaited clinic open.<\/p>\n
“This facility marks a significant step forward in our shared commitment to ensure that everyone in Orillia has access to family medicine and primary care,” he said.<\/p>\n
In the face of physician shortages, McIsaac said Orillia has stepped up to directly support physician recruitment and retention.<\/p>\n
“We have been innovative and collaborative to bring partners together toward a common goal,” he said. “The teaching unit builds on that goal. It is an investment in our future.”<\/p>\n
The\u00a0medical clinic is comprised of the FMTU with\u00a0exam rooms on the right side,\u00a0the public medical clinic exam rooms on the left side, and a common reception area.<\/p>\n
“This is a great addition to Orillia health care and the community. I’m so very proud to have it in our building,”\u00a0said Brett Frith, owner of the Friden Health and Wellness Centre building.<\/p>\n
“The hope is that the new doctors will finish their training here and then move in. That’s part of the retention to keep the doctors here. That’s the whole idea of FMTU.”<\/p>\n