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Family Health Team needs loan, reasonable lease rate to get started By Liz Dadson |
Kincardine council To Comment on this article Click Here |
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The Kincardine Family Health Team is ready to get started, but it needs some help from the Municipality of Kincardine.
He said the leasehold agreement between the Family Health Team and the municipality would not be near the $24 per-square-foot per month outlined by council. That would be the maximum allowed by the Ontario Ministry of Health. Glover said the Kincardine Family Health Team is considered a "small" one, based on the number of doctors attached to it, the complement of staff, and the community population. Comparable teams would pay a lease rate of $11-$15 per-square-foot per month, including common costs, such as utilities, taxes, and landscaping. "We could look at $13 per-square-foot per month for the lower level of the Kincardine Community Medical Clinic," he said, "but that would include common costs. That would be a fair lease rate to start this agreement." The Family Health Team also requires transitional funding to cover one-time costs incurred in establishing the team, such as equipment, furnishings and facility renovations. Kincardine's Family Health Team is considered a Tier 2, with a preliminary cost estimate of $10,000 to $100,000 to set up shop. A loan from the municipality would be repaid over five years, said Glover. He said the ministry will cover the cost of facility improvements, including the renovations in the lower level of the medical clinic. The Family Health Team will endeavour to provide residents of Kincardine and Huron-Kinloss with access to quality health care and expanded access to health services, said Glover. It is designed to provide physicians support from other complementary professionals, including nurses, nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, social workers, etc., so the patients receive the very best care when they need it, as close to home as possible. Dr. Art Wiebe is chairperson of the Kincardine Family Health Team, with Dr. Lisa Scott as vice-chairperson, and directors Dr. Gary Gurbin, Dr. Rejean Duwyn, and Dr. Lisa Roth. The team includes: clinical pharmacist Pat McKechnie, social worker Jennifer Rapley, occupational therapist Pam Rantz, registered nurses Janette Diebel and Rhonda Walsh, finance administrator Sue Doupe, executive assistant Mandy Van Hardeveld, and executive director Gerald Glover. The nurse practitioner and health educator positions remain vacant. Among the services provided by the Family Health Team are medication review, general counselling, crisis counselling, in-home assessment, fall assessment, preventative diabetic program, and universal diabetic foot care. The next steps, said Glover, are to enter into a lease agreement and a loan agreement with the municipality, secure ministry approval of the proposed floor plan, determine renovation start and completion dates, select a contractor for the renovations, and continue to work with the Kincardine acting chief administrative officer and building department to ensure accessibility standard compliance. Councillor Ron Coristine said he is excited about having the Family Health Team this close to being established after a 10-year wait. He asked how the square-footage cost in the lease agreement compares to what the physicians pay for their offices in the medical clinic. He also disputed the reduced funding from the ministry for wages for the Kincardine team because it's considered a "small" Family Health Team. Glover said the Kincardine Family Health Team is a non-profit corporation, and he could not comment on what the physicians pay for their offices. As for wage levels, he must work within the model given by the ministry. "To put this in plain English, in order to get the team in place, you need Tier 2 funding, $10,000 to $100,000, repaid over five years, at $20,000 per year," said councillor Maureen Couture. "Yes," said Glover. Couture said she thought the municipality had an understanding that Kincardine would pay the loan upfront, but be repaid the entire amount all at once. Acting chief administrative officer Donna MacDougall said there was some discussion by council but it was indicated that the loan would be repaid over five years. "You're saying $13 per-square-foot per month," said Couture. "Where did the $24 number come from?"
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"That's the maximum allowable funding for a Family Health Team, over a prolonged occupancy," said Glover. "Is 15 years not considered long-term?" asked Couture. "Why not $24? What does it cost us per-square-foot to run it?" Councillor Kenneth Craig suggested staff work with the Family Health Team to negotiate a lease and bring the numbers back to council. He asked why the nurse practitioner position is vacant. "We've had a series of interviews but the Family Health Team is at the low end of the funding numbers," said Glover. "What we can pay a nurse practitioner is not enough for some applicants." He is working with other agencies to sell the job to new graduates. "I'm excited, too, that the Family Health Team is finally getting close to being established," said deputy mayor Anne Eadie. "Are we doing all we can to meet the government deadlines to get the team in place?" Glover said he received assurance from the ministry that the Family Health Team will be maintained until renovations are complete. "I'm purchasing capital equipment and recruiting positions for the Family Health Team," he said. "We don't have the physical space, but we're working with the physicians and the medical clinic to use their office and clinical space while the renovations are proceeding." Councillor Jacqueline Faubert asked how people access the Family Health Team and what it provides. "We partner with the physicians to increase access to health care services," said Glover, "especially services not available to some residents, those without health coverage and those facing financial hardship." The Family Health Team services are accessed through a physician referral, he said, or patients can do a self-referral to a particular program. "We can also pick up patients who don't have a family physician." To reach the Family Health Team, people can call 519-396-2600, Ext. 168. Mayor Larry Kraemer said he supports a loan to help establish the Family Health Team, but is reluctant to make it interest-free. "It should at least cover our costs." Glover said if there is an increase to the loan, that moves it into Tier 3 (over $100,000) transitional funding, and that requires a whole lot more paperwork. As for the lease, he said the team could begin at $13 per-square-foot per month, and eventually increase to $24 per-square-foot per month over 20 years. Coristine said the ministry certainly "puts the screws to this tightly." He suggested dialogue with the ministry to encourage officials to "treat us like other humans." Glover said an increase over a couple of years to $14-$15 per-square-foot per month on the lease should make up for the interest-free loan from the municipality. "My biggest fear is that if we go back to the ministry, it could change its mind on the whole process and hold up us getting a Family Health Team at all," said Eadie. "I would encourage council to do whatever it takes to make this work." Council agreed to have staff negotiate a lease agreement and a loan agreement with the Family Health Team, and bring them back for council consideration by early February. Scrolling stops when you move your mouse inside the scroll area. You can click on the ads for more
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