History of the Project

The Lakefield Community Medical Support Foundation, a not-for-profit volunteer organization, launched a campaign to build a community medical centre that will offer access to family doctors and related healthcare professionals for residents of Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield and Douro-Dummer Townships.

 

Background

The Lakefield Medical Support Foundation was founded by Lakefield pharmacist Nick Lalani in 2003, who brought together a group of area citizens and business owners to seek a solution to the problem of physicians leaving family practices in the area. At the time, Lakefield had three family doctors, down from six in previous years.

 

The group concluded that a local medical centre was needed after a number of potential replacement physicians declined to set up practices, citing the lack of suitable facilities. The proposed centre will offer doctors the opportunity to practice in a team environment along with allied health-care professionals in a state-of-the-art facility. The centre's structure is based on the model endorsed by Primary Health Care Services of Peterborough, the organization that allocates provincial funding for the establishment of health teams in Peterborough County.

 

The number of people in our two townships without a family doctor is estimated at between 5,000 to 6,000. Under the foundation's proposal, two of the current Lakefield family practitioners would move into the new facility. The addition of three doctors and the 2.5 nurse practitioners will enable the centre to significantly reduce the number of "orphaned" patients. The centre will also be able to serve people who have moved into its catchment area and have retained family doctors in other locations such as Toronto, but would prefer to have access to medical services closer to their homes. Plans are also underway to provide some treatment options for visiting summer residents.

 

A site for the Centre at the intersection of Highway 28 and Strickland St. in Douro-Dummer Township was graciously donated by the Ambler family. The cost of the centre is estimated at $4.4 million. The foundation has received $674,000 in provincial government funding and $200,000 each from Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield and Douro-Dummer Townships. A community fundraising goal of $3.3 million is in its final stages.

 

"Our fundraising results are outstanding because people know that this is a project of extraordinary importance and urgent need," said Lakefield dentist Dr. Bruce Gibson, chairman of the foundation and the campaign. "The centre will have an immediate impact on the quality of daily life for the people of this area. "Many of our residents are senior citizens for whom access to medical care within their community is of tremendous importance."