Walk-in clinic not the answer
South Shore region remains hopeful replacement will be found for Dr. Joey Giordani
Walk-in clinics are not designed to meet the entire spectrum of medical needs, but that’s what the community of Crapaud is facing.
The departure of Dr. Joey Giordani, first from Crapaud and then from Cornwall, has left 2,300 patients in the South Shore area without a family doctor.
The South Shore Health and Wellness committee quickly created a walk-in clinic at the South Shore Pharmacy that is now open four to five days a week.
But pharmacy owner Lisa Gallant says clinics aren’t equipped to deal with some needs.
“The walk-in clinic is not great for continuity of care, especially for people with chronic diseases they need managed.”
Some people are turned away when it gets too full, Gallant said. The clinic is providing some services to try to bridge the gap — like extending prescriptions, directing people to appropriate resources and offering advice.
“Certainly, the physicians and nurse practitioners are working hard to try and manage those people as best they can.”
But, in some cases, like prescription changes or bloodwork, there is no substitute for a doctor, Gallant said.
“It can be managed by nurses with special training, but there still has to be a physician to oversee the process and for people who don’t have a family physician, it’s an issue.”
It’s a stressful situation for patients, Gallant said, particularly elderly people who aren’t as mobile.
“There’s also a certain segment of the population who may be ill that aren’t good advocates for their own care, who require a lot of help and management and those types of people are at risk of falling through the cracks.”
Despite the challenges, local residents are “very thankful” for the walk-in clinic and the practitioners offering their services, Gallant said.
Former patients of Giordani can request a copy of their medical record by emailing mymedicalrecord@protonmail.com or sending a fax to 902-675-0071.
In a statement, Health P.E.I. said it is “actively recruiting to permanently fill” the vacant position.
“We are hopeful that once recruited, a new physician will take on many of the patients formerly part of Dr. Giordani’s practice.”
Giordani is currently working in the emergency department at Western Hospital in Alberton.
There is a billing number available for the Queens West region, which Crapaud falls under, Gallant said. So, it’s a matter of recruiting a physician to the area.
“I have faith the (health) minister’s going to do the right thing. I know they’re looking for physicians.”
The community did a health needs assessment survey in which 90 per cent of respondents said they want to be able to access primary care in Crapaud.
That’s where they’re used to coming, said Gallant, as it’s central to all who were patients of Dr. Hendrick Visser, Giordani’s predecessor.
Gallant thinks the area will eventually get another doctor and hopes this challenge will merely be a bump in the road. “People don’t realize how much you rely on your physician to access a whole wide range of health services. The physician is kind of the gatekeeper and helps triage people to proper resources,” she said. “When the physician is pulled out of that equation, it gets very hard for people to navigate their own health-care needs.”