First it is important to understand that in most other communities, the physicians in those communities often partner up and open private clinics. These are physician operated and they bill directly to OHIP.

In our area the majority of physicians are part of an organization known as the Family Health Organization or FHO. New physicians, or seasoned veterans, these doctors practice out of a wide variety of locations including their own family practices, hospital duties and even walk in clinics. So, sometimes the issue isn’t about need, it’s about ability to service that need. These physicians are stretched thin and they also have family lives, so unless there are enough physicians, the “ability to service” will not change.

In the year 2020, The Town of Wasaga Beach demonstrated that need with a one year pilot project that saw 3600 patients come through the door. Mayor Smiths first term of office saw him push through this pilot project, knowing it may fail and have to be abandoned by a responsible Council. At the end of the trial however, the FHO could not commit physicians to continue the clinic. It was THAT simple.

Now, IF doctors in the FHO had decided they wanted to run a clinic here, they would have been more than welcome to continue it. However, it would not cost the Town $250,000.00. That was the cost of operating the clinic for the one year pilot. Those costs do not include the thousands spent in setting it up.

So… the pilot program was ditched. Rightfully so. Health Care spending is a Provincial responsibility and should not be paid out of Municipal taxes.

But that didn’t stop Mayor Smith from opening another clinic once he was in the Mayors seat. Then he had the audacity to say it doesn’t affect our taxes because it’s casino funds. What kind of blarney is that?

A doctor who was retiring presumably could not sell his practice because no new physician was interested, so a deal was struck and he donated his equipment and furnishings and in exchange, the Town leased the property he occupied. ($6,000.00+/ month)

So, we now have a medical clinic being paid for with Wasaga Beach taxpayers money, but what guarantees do we have that tax payers in Toronto, Brampton, Clearview or Collingwood are not accessing the services.

But, we have a clinic and I suspect for the next few years it will continue. Sure the next Council will have to do the unpopular thing and cancel the clinic or find a better way, but for now, we have it.

I don’t think this Council should get a free pass on complete disclosure of the FULL cost to the taxpayers.

But, now that we have it, people should ask other questions;

Are the patient visits being billed to the Province? Is this the Nurse Practitioners billing or the Town? Have any doctors signed on and what financial agreements are in place there?

What procedures (and at what cost) are in place to ensure patient confidentiality and security of records. I recall this was a very important aspect of the pilot clinic in 2020. The Town does not have a good track record for protecting electronic files or Human Resources documents, so what guarantees are in place?

I guess for me, the question of “where does it end” also comes into it. Does the Town decide to build and fund subsidized housing? Does the town decide that if no commercial entity builds a hotel that they will just do it themselves? Will the Town take over Provincial Highways and put up roadblocks entering town? Oh, wait… they already did that.

This is an important issue to discuss. If you have neighbours or friends in the Medical Services Industry, ask them for their opinions.

Should the Taxpayers of Wasaga Beach be leasing property on a long term basis and paying for a Provincial service?????