Bluewater Health has stepped up to help neighbouring communities in need of urology services.
Chief of Staff Dr. Mike Haddad tells Sarnia News Today the Middlesex hospital system in Strathroy and Newbury had been relying on local coverage for their urology needs, but their urologist retired at the end of June.
"In anticipation of that actually, our hospitals had been in discussions to ensure that the need for patients in the Strathroy and east Lambton area continues to be covered uninterrupted," said Haddad. "Our urology group here has offered to extend their services to cover Middlesex Health Alliance (MHA). So, as of July 1 of this year, we've become the de facto urology service covering that area as well."
Haddad said Bluewater Health has the capacity and is thrilled to strengthen its relationship with MHA.
"I find many of our community hospitals need to find ways to collaborate more, to share resources, to provide coverage to our patients in different areas of southwestern Ontario," he said. "So, this would be a good step in that direction."
Haddad agreed that these partnerships could be explored in other areas.
"We haven't specifically talked about other services, but we're open to it," said Haddad. "Starting with urology and seeing how it goes. My understanding is over the last couple of weeks since we started... things have been going smoothly. We've had some patients from the Strathroy area looked after here in Sarnia, so our urology group is very enthusiastic and committed to helping out. So, we can always build on this in the future if needed, for sure."
MHA President and CEO Julie McBrien said care that can be delivered in community hospitals, should be.
"Enhancing access to urology care to our community is at the heart of this decision, and over the next year, we look forward to hearing feedback from patients, families and healthcare providers on how these services are meeting their needs,” said McBrien. “During these challenging times related to health human resources, this innovative collaborative effort signifies a milestone in our shared commitment to enhancing healthcare services for all individuals within our communities. By leveraging our collective resources, expertise, and dedication, we are confident that this partnership will successfully address the current and evolving urological needs of our patients.”
In addition to assuming the responsibility of on-call urology support, Bluewater Health will accept non-urgent referrals.
-With files from Natalia Vega