A recent social media post about a Simcoe physician closing his practice at the end of the year drew a flurry of reactions\u00a0from patients concerned about finding a replacement.<\/p>\n
Published Nov 09, 2025 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 14\u00a0hours ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 4 minute read<\/p>\n
![\"Doctor](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-1183506875-e1649259004597-1-1.jpg\")
The\u00a0new BBN Primary Care Access Clinic has opened in Simcoe and Paris, ON. The clinic is a collaborative initiative of the\u00a0Grand River Community Health Centre,\u00a0the\u00a0Norfolk\u00a0Family Health Team, and the\u00a0PrimaCare\u00a0Family Health Team.\u00a0\u00a0 Photo by iStock \/GETTY IMAGESArticle content<\/p>\n
A recent social media post about a Simcoe physician closing his practice at the end of the year drew a flurry of reactions\u00a0from patients concerned about finding a replacement.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Advertisement 2<\/p>\n
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n
Article content<\/p>\n
It again drew attention to the shortage of family doctors practising in the municipality. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Article content<\/p>\n
Recommended Videos<\/p>\n
Article content<\/p>\n
About\u00a020,000 people, or just over eight percent of the Brantford-Brant-Norfolk population,\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0have a\u00a0family doctor or nurse practitioner.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The retirement of\u00a0that\u00a0local\u00a0doctor means\u00a0about 2,000\u00a0patients\u00a0on\u00a0his\u00a0roster\u00a0will\u00a0also soon\u00a0be\u00a0left without primary care, said Roxanne\u00a0Pierssens-Silva,\u00a0executive director of the Norfolk Family Health Team.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Add to those concerning statistics the reality that up to 60\u00a0per cent of\u00a0local family physicians will reach retirement age in the next five to 10 years, and the situation becomes more critical.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To help improve medical care, two new primary access clinics that will serve residents without a family doctor or nurse practitioner have opened in Paris and Simcoe, building on the successful model already operating in Brantford through the Grand River Community Health Centre.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Advertisement 3<\/p>\n
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n
Article content<\/p>\n
The\u00a0new BBN Primary Care Access Clinic is a collaborative initiative of the\u00a0Grand River Community Health Centre,\u00a0the\u00a0Norfolk\u00a0Family Health Team, and the\u00a0PrimaCare\u00a0Family Health Team.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
A nurse practitioner will split her time between Paris and Simcoe, working two days a week at each location\u00a0\u2013 25 Curtis Ave. North in Paris and 185 Robinson St. in Simcoe.\u00a0There will also be afternoon\/evening hours\u00a0offered on\u00a0Wednesdays\u00a0on\u00a0alternating weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t a walk-in clinic,\u201d said Tina\u00a0Gabriel, executive director of the Paris-based\u00a0PrimaCare\u00a0team.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0about connecting people to care that will be followed up.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lynda Kohler, executive director of the Grand River Community Health Centre,\u00a0said the clinic is meant to be a temporary\u00a0service with a goal of\u00a0eventually\u00a0getting patients\u00a0added to a local doctor or nurse practitioner\u2019s permanent roster.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Advertisement 4<\/p>\n
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n
Article content<\/p>\n
\u201cIt gives people an alternative while waiting for (permanent) primary care,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0Kohler.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The clinic ensures patients who are eventually connected to a family doctor\u00a0\u201care coming in with up-to-date information, not\u00a0as\u00a0someone who hasn\u2019t had primary care for 10 years,\u201d said\u00a0Pierssens-Silva.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Appointments\u00a0must be pre-booked\u00a0for non-emergency health concerns, including minor injuries and illnesses, bloodwork requisition, sexual health care, cancer screening,\u00a0prenatal\u00a0care, vaccinations, prescription renewals (excluding narcotics), specialist\u00a0referrals\u00a0and chronic disease management.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aaron Gautreau, director of communications and public relations at Norfolk General Hospital, said\u00a0the family doctor shortage is being felt across the country.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Advertisement 5<\/p>\n
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n
Article content<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s\u00a0why recruitment is one of our highest priorities and why we continue to work hard to bring more doctors to Norfolk,\u201d\u00a0he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At a meeting in late 2024 where he was seeking $100,000 from Norfolk County council to support physician recruitment efforts for 2025, Norfolk General Hospital CEO Todd Stepanuik said there were 17,000 primary care doctors in Ontario, 34 of them practising in Norfolk.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stepanuik\u00a0said the shortage of family physicians puts added pressure on the NGH emergency room.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
About 2.5 million Ontarians are without a family doctor, according to recent data published by the Ontario College of Family Physicians.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Ford government has vowed to combat the crisis by connecting every Ontarian with a family physician by 2029, with initiatives that include a new funding model for doctors, recruitment programs, increased medical school spots, and team-based care.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Advertisement 6<\/p>\n
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n
Article content<\/p>\n
Alicia Myers, a physician recruitment specialist, works to fill vacancies at Norfolk General and helps support the recruitment of family doctors in the community as a member of the Norfolk Primary Care Taskforce. Also on the taskforce are the county\u2019s economic development team, the Brantford Brant Norfolk Ontario Health\u00a0Team\u00a0and local physicians.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gautreau said the recruitment team offers signing bonuses, relocation support and help with start-up expenses to lure doctors to the community. An AI platform has been launched that matches physicians with jobs in Norfolk. The team also travels to recruitment events to connect with potential candidates, promoting the county\u2019s rural way of life with \u201csafe communities, shorter commutes and more time for family and recreation.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Advertisement 7<\/p>\n
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n
Article content<\/p>\n
Over the past two years, Norfolk General has welcomed several new physicians, including an obstetrician gynecologist, emergency department doctors, anesthetists, a\u00a0surgeon,\u00a0and a family doctor. The hospital currently has more than 145 physicians.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile we welcome interest from all medical learners and doctors exploring rural practice, we are especially looking for specialists in anesthesiology, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and emergency medicine,\u201d said Gautreau. \u201cThese skills are essential to strengthening care for our community.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
In a statement, Heidy VanDyk, general manager of corporate services for Norfolk County, said the municipality \u201ccontinues to work with our healthcare partners to encourage physicians and other medical practitioners to come to Norfolk County to practice.\u201d Last year, the county invested $250,000\u00a0in\u00a0doctor recruitment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe county also included the topic of physician recruitment in its Ministry of Health delegation at this year\u2019s AMO conference so that the province continues to be aware of the need for physicians in Norfolk.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Appointments at the Primary Care Access Clinic can be booked online at bbnoht.ca\u00a0<\/p>\n
Article content<\/p>\n
Share this article in your social network<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Breadcrumb Trail Links NewsLocal News A recent social media post about a Simcoe physician closing his practice at…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":273741,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[49,48,84,392],"class_list":{"0":"post-273740","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthcare","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-healthcare"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/273740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=273740"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/273740\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/273741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=273740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=273740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=273740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}