The newly established Peterborough Community Health Centre (PCHC) will be starting in a temporary space at the Peterborough Square mall in the city’s downtown area. This temporary location will be used for up to 12 months as Phase 1 of the CHC, with the goal of seeing patients as quickly as possible. The center aims to provide comprehensive primary care, mental health services, chronic disease management, and culturally appropriate care by traditional wellness practitioners. The PCHC has already integrated with other community health services and programs, and plans to open its doors quickly to begin providing services.
Plans for a permanent space for the PCHC are still in progress, with a search underway for an interim space. The campaign for the PCHC was launched in February 2023, seeking $8.2 million annually from the province to serve 6,000 marginalized individuals. The province has already provided base funding of $4.8 million, which will support four full-time equivalent physicians and 3.5 full-time equivalent nurse practitioners. The remaining funding will go towards allied health and interprofessional team-based primary care, aligning with the direction of primary care services.
The board chair of the PCHC, Johnathan Bennett, stated that they are taking their time to choose an interim space that will meet their needs for growth and scale over the next several years. The aim is to avoid any disruptions in the existing practices of physicians in the community, with a focus on attracting “net new” doctors to the area. The CHC is based on a salaried model, which may appeal to doctors currently working elsewhere but living in the area. Efforts are also being made to connect with the family medicine program at Queen’s University to build relationships and strengthen the health care workforce.
The goal of the PCHC is to begin providing client services by the end of 2024, making it the first funded CHC in Ontario in 15 years. This initiative will bring up to 30 new healthcare jobs to the community, providing much-needed services to marginalized individuals. Further details will be released on how to access the primary care services offered by the PCHC. The focus is on hiring human resources quickly and getting patients through the door to start receiving care. With funding in place and strong community support, the PCHC is poised to make a significant impact on healthcare in Peterborough.
