New Family Health Team Comes to Port Colborne

P r e s s   R e l e a s e

PORT COLBORNE, ON - October 20, 2009 - This evening, Port Colborne's newest Family Physician signed an agreement to practice medicine in the City of Port Colborne. Dr. Haibo Xu, will begin seeing patients very soon at the Port Colborne Site of the Niagara Health System.  Dr. Xu practices within a Family Health Team (FHT) model of care.  In collaboration with Dr. Xu, the City and the Ministry of Health & Long Term Care (MOHLTC), it was agreed by the Ministry to permit Dr. Xu to develop a satellite FHT of the Haldimand FHT in Dunnville.  The Ministry supports this collaboration.  This is a win for the City of Port Colborne, in particular, for those residents that are currently without a family physician.

Mary Fleming, Director of Primary Health Care for the MOHLTC, stated "One of the key ministry goals is to reduce the number of unattached patients, and we are pleased to support and approve this requested expansion to Port Colborne. Congratulations on your hard work and diligence. We look forward to our continued work with you on this important initiative."

Mayor Vance Badawey stated that "This is a direction the City of Port Colborne has been working toward since the late 90s and into the early 2000s and only now has the opportunity to capitalize on our efforts to rebuild and enhance the provision of integrated health care services within our community, including those at our hospital.  We are beginning to satisfy the recommendations of the 1999 Coulson Report, which was updated in 2008 in response to the Niagara Health System's Hospital Improvement Plan. Dr. Xu brings with him additional allied health professionals as well.  Patients will have access to a social worker, dietician, nurse practitioner."

"Additionally, because of our collaborative effort with the Niagara Health System, patients will be able to have x-rays, and lab work done right at the Port Colborne site while seeing their family physician," stated Joanne Ferraccioli, Physician Recruiter with the City of Port Colborne.

Debbie Sevenpifer, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Niagara Health System stated "We are pleased to be able to support a Family Health Team being located at our Port Colborne Site.  This is a great example of community partners working together to enhance primary health care services for the people of Port Colborne and surrounding communities."

Mayor Vance Badawey concluded by stating, "Based on the efforts of our community, our health care services are continuing to be better aligned, working closer together to ensure our residents have equal access to a broader range of health care services.  By bringing Dr. Xu and his Family Health Team to the City, along with the recent opening of our Community Health Centre (CHC), it proves what a community can achieve when working extremely hard to validate what health care services we need, and in turn, making it happen."

The Mayor announced this newest Primary Health care service delivery at a meeting this evening of the South Niagara Health Care Corporation. He told those in attendance if any resident needs a family physician, simply stop by or give us a call at City Hall, where the forms are available.      

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