New nursing clinic coming to Wallaceburg

CHATHAM Homecare patients in Wallaceburg who have had to travel to nursing clinics in Chatham or Sarnia will soon have the same services closer to their residences.

The Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network plans to open a new clinic within Sydenham District Hospital by April for its home and community care patients.

Lori Marshall, CEO of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, said having the services inside a hospital is a new model not seen elsewhere in the region.

“It’s not like a walk-in clinic where somebody could access it for different reasons,” she said. “It’s very specifically for patients who are home and community care patients, who would be receiving this service elsewhere, if not in Wallaceburg.”

Services at the clinic include IV treatment and wound therapy, such as dressing changes.

The clinic will be within the ambulatory care area of the Wallaceburg hospital. Marshall said the frequency of the clinic will depend on needs.

Marshall said “co-locating” the services is a good way to make use of the existing space.

“It just creates more activity at the campus itself, which is a good thing from a camaraderie perspective for the staff there, from a security perspective in terms of having people throughout the building and using different areas of this building,” she said.

According to the LHIN, more than 100 patients from North Kent and South Lambton are expected to use the clinic.