Primary Health Care in the City of Kawartha Lakes


Primary health care is defined as the care provided by a family physician or nurse practitioner. From 2004 until 2010, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) had designated CKL as an under-serviced area. The new HealthForce Ontario Northern and Rural Recruitment and Retention Initiative (NRRR Initiative) will provide grants to physicians and new physican graduates who agree to practicse in a northern or highly rural community or in one of the five major northernurban referral centres.   

Communities are determined to be eligible based on their Rurality Index for Ontario (RIO) score.  The RIO score is based on three factors:  population (count and density), travel time to a centre offering physican care, and travel time to a centre that offers advanced speailty care.  Physicians who practise in communities with a RIO score of 40 or more will be eligible fo rthis incentive fund.  Unfortunately, the City of Kawartha Lakes no longer is recognized as an underserviced community for primary health care. 

Based on recommendations by the MOHLTC CKL requires an additional 7 family physicians to properly care for its population. Currently there are 10-15,000 citizens within the City of Kawartha Lakes without primary health care - “unattached” patients. “Unattached” is a phrase used in the medical community to indicate a citizen without access to primary health care.

Fifty percent (50%) of the city’s population falls in the age range of 45-75+ years, compared to the provincial rate of 39%. This higher than average aging population creates a strain on the health care system, i.e. there are more emergency and walk-in clinic visits when citizens don’t have a primary health care provider.

Why Is There A Lack of Family Doctors?

Ontario’s population, as in all of Canada, is growing faster than the growth rate of new family physicians. As well, our current doctors are aging, with 10% of them being 55 years of age, or older. Newly qualified family physicians have a range of options for their practice. It can be a full time family practice, but it can also include after hours clinics, emergency, hospitalist, or palliative care. So, not all family physicians are creating a full time practice. The Kawartha Lakes Health Care Initiative is working with all levels of government to address these issues.

Pathway to Becoming a Family Doctor

To become a family doctor the following steps are required:
Step 1: University degree - usually four year degree, sometimes a three year degree is accepted. Tuition approximately $6,000/year; living expenses approximately $9,000/year.
Step 2: Medical school completion - 4 years (except at McMaster and Calgary where it is 3 years). Tuition approximately $15-20,000/year; living expenses approximately $15,000/year.
Step 3: Completion of two year family practice residency programme. Salary earned approximately $35,000/year; living expenses.
Step 4: Successful completion of licensing exam. Cost approximately $4,000.

The above is complicated by the fact that only 1 of every 8 applicants to medical school are successful in obtaining a position.

The KLHCI recognizes the significant cost in obtaining a medical degree. Information from the Royal Bank of Canada is that the debt load for a student completing all of the above education is $160,000. The KLHCI has disseminated information by way of advertisements and at recruitment fairs to offer student bursaries in the amount of $10,000/year in each of years two, three and four of medical school. This would be conditional on the signing of a four year return of service agreement.  As of 2010, KLHCI also offers a Residency Support Program in the amount of $10,000 to a Family Medicine Resident in their first or second year of Residency.  This would be conditional on the signing of a four year return of service agreement.

Types of Primary Care

Currently, we have the following family physicians practicing in the City of Kawartha Lakes. Unless otherwise noted, they are working at full patient capacity.

Bobcaygeon - Dr. J. Fagan , Dr. S. Oldridge, Dr. N. Syed,
Coboconk – Dr. S. Warsi
Fenelon Falls – Dr. B. Allin, Dr. P.J. Dickson, Dr. P. Gallagher, Dr. M. Young,
Kirkfield – Dr. K. Koprowicz
Lindsay – Dr. P. Anderson, Dr. M. Chayer, Dr. J. Dafoe, Dr. R. Drury, Dr. N. Ecob, Dr. B. Fagan, Dr. S.L. Francis (part-time), Dr. S. Hainer,  Dr. C. Jackson, Dr. R. Jackson, Dr. D. Klein (accepting patients through the Community Health Centre), Dr. G. Loeb, Dr. P. Petrosoniak, , Dr. M. Pretorius, Dr. E. Ready, Dr. K. Roberts, Dr. D. Rutherford, Dr. M. Snarr (accepting patients through the Community Health Centre), Dr. W. Stanley, Dr. M. Stone, Dr. S. Vorster, Dr. R. Wilson, Dr. S.M. Young,
Omemee -Dr. J. Clay (accepting patients), Dr. J. Ludwig
Woodville – Dr. L. Bingham, Dr. M. Cescon

The city is also served by Nurse Practitioners. A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse who has completed specific advanced nursing education (generally a master's degree) and training in the diagnosis and management of common as well as complex medical conditions.

Currently, we have the following nurse practitioners in the City of Kawartha Lakes:
Bethany/Lindsay – Andrea Michie
Fenelon Falls – Carrie Dymond, Amy Pruett
Kirkfield – Jocelyn O’Leary

Primary Care Service Facilities/Delivery

There are a variety of primary care services available in the City of Kawartha Lakes, along with services offered by the Ross Memorial Hospital.These include:

• Family Physicians
• Nurse Practitioners
• Kawartha North Family Health Team (www.kawarthanorthfht.com)
• Community Health Centre (www.community-care.on.ca)
• Omemee Medical Centre (www.omemeemedicalcentre.ca)
• City of Kawartha Lakes Family Health Team
• Ross Memorial Hospital (www.rmh.org)

Walk-in Clinics:

• Lindsay Community Walk In Clinic, 65 Angeline St. N., Suite 14 – Monday 7-9 p.m.; Tuesday 7-9 p.m.; Wednesday 6-9 p.m.; Thursday 7-9 p.m.; Friday closed; Saturday 10 a.m.-12 noon; Sunday 9 a.m.-12 noon; Holidays 10 a.m.-12 noon
• Ross Memorial Hospital After Hours Clinic, Kent Street Entrance - Monday-Friday 6-9 p.m.; Weekends and Holidays 9 a.m.-12 noon.

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit Clinics:

• Sexual Health Clinics: Fenelon Falls - First and third Wednesdays of each month from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the Fenelon Family Health Team clinic. Call 705-324-3569 Ext. 205 to book an appointment. Lindsay - Mondays from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and Thursdays from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Ross Memorial Hospital. Call 705-324-3569 Ext. 205 to book an apointment.
• Cervical Screening - call 705-324-3569 Ext. 205 to book an appointment.
• HKPR website: www.hkpr.on.ca

Ontario Breast Screening Program:

• For a free screening appointment call 705-328-6175
• Located at the Ross Memorial Hospital

Find out more about Community Partnerships, as well as What the KLHCI Does and How the KLHCI Recruits.