Cheryl Marks, Nurse Practitioner, is coming to provide care for local patients at the Woodville Medical Centre, beginning the week after Labour Day. Ms. Marks will be a permanent, full-time, primary care provider with the City of Kawartha Lakes Family Health Team.
A newcomer to the area, Ms. Marks has career experience in the hospital, long-term care, and family health team settings. She has also provided nursing care in neonatal units, infection disease centres and sexual assault treatment facilities. Ms. Marks is looking forward to starting her practice now in Woodville and providing care to local patients. Dana Robertson will continue to be the medical receptionist for patients onsite.
The departure of Dr. Muhammed Khan last October left the residents of Woodville without a family doctor. At that time, Community Care Health and Care Network stepped up to provide health care to the residents of Woodville until March 31st of this year while attempts were made to find funding.
The Kawartha Lakes Family Health Team was asked by the Ministry of Health late this spring to provide a full-time nurse practitioner and medical receptionist with new funding specifically for Woodville. This new funding is a solution to help ensure primary care remains available to the residents of Woodville in their own community. “It was my pleasure to work with Councillor Andrew Veale and the Woodville Medical Centre to secure funding for frontline care for our community via a nurse practitioner,” said Hon. Laurie Scott, Member of Provincial Parliament for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock. “Councillor Veale’s hard work and dedication helped us to make this front line service a reality,” she added.
“We are pleased to be able to offer more health care to patients in Woodville,” stated Dr. Eric Ready, Chair of the Board of the family health team. “Cheryl Marks is an excellent professional addition to our team.” Mike Perry, Executive Director, shared Dr. Ready’s enthusiasm: “The credit goes to both Community Care for stepping up and the local volunteer Board of the Woodville Medical Centre for successfully advocating to get the funding,” he added. “This is about access to health care in our local, rural communities and local patients will be well cared for by Cheryl.”
Barb Mildon, CEO of Community Care applauds the development in increased care: “We know that being able to receive health care quickly and conveniently from a trusted provider is a key factor in maintaining health and avoiding emergency room visits. The Kawartha Lakes Family Health Team is well recognized for its primary care excellence and we are very pleased to see them ensure that primary care remains locally available to the residents of Woodville.”
Woodville patients who have remained with the medical centre will see the new nurse practitioner for the majority of their care, but will also be registered automatically with a family doctor in Lindsay with whom the nurse practitioner will consult as needed. Nurse practitioners are highly trained health care professionals who combine their advanced nursing knowledge with an in-depth understanding of health care, disease prevention and treatment, and health education. Nurse practitioners can prescribe drugs, order tests and communicate a diagnosis.
In addition to a nurse practitioner at the medical centre, the family health team plans to provide access to other health care professionals, including for mental health, medication consultation and dietary care, depending on patients’ needs.
Ms. Marks will begin seeing patients as Woodville’s new nurse practitioner starting the week after Labour Day: 3-6 September. Existing patients may begin to call the centre at that time to book medical appointments.
Operating since 2011, the City of Kawartha Lakes Family Health Team cares for some 36,000 patients at 13 locations across the area including Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, Omemee, Lindsay, Little Britain and Woodville.
Need a family doctor? Contact Health Care Connect 1-800-445-1822 or call Danielle at 705.328.9853 Ext. 243.