The Creemore Medical Centre expansion is about to reach an important milestone: the sending out of bid tender documents to area contractors, with the June 24th Clearview Council meeting targeted for the announcement of the winning bid. Our fundraising effort has been very successful, with cash received and future commitments coming close to our target, which has recently been revised upwards modestly to reflect our view of current costs. Well over 300 donations have been received from individuals and organizations large and small. Thank you all for your generous support!
In the course of our fundraising, some questions have arisen which deserve a response that everyone can see. The first question related to the project’s estimated cost: approximately $450,000 for only 900 square feet of new space on the main floor. It seems like a lot of money per square foot, some said. The basic explanation is that we are doing much more than just adding new space. We will be spending over $90,000 to improve the building’s accessibility for handicapped patients, for example, and we are making significant changes to the existing building as well. Our cost estimates have been reviewed by several construction professionals, who found them reasonable for the work being done.
“How much is this costing taxpayers?” was another common question. While the Township staff has been enormously helpful in the planning process, all project and operating costs will be paid out of funds we have raised or through rent paid by future tenants, just the way it has been for more than 25 years with the existing building. Township taxpayers have not been and will not be asked to pay anything toward the expansion.
We told potential donors that only 25 per cent of Creemore area residents said in our survey that they used current Medical Centre services. This caused people to ask why we were expanding, when no one wanted to use the facility. But our survey also told us emphatically that residents wanted very much to use the doctors in the Centre; sadly, these people had found that the doctors already had full rosters and were not taking new patients. Hence the only way to provide additional physician services is to build space for new ones to move into – which is what our project will do.
Other residents complained that they were promised a doctor 25 years ago, when they gave their donation to the original building fund. Understandably, perhaps, they felt disinclined to give this time. The irony in their reaction to not give now is that providing new space might well provide the medical services they felt they were promised long ago. This expansion is an enabling investment to enhance physician availability.
Why don’t the Medical Centre physicians respond to local emergencies, since they are much closer than any hospital? All our doctors, when called in these situations, recommend that the patient go to Emergency at the nearest hospital. Hospitals have a broad range of diagnostic and treatment equipment and tools which a centre like ours simply cannot offer. The patient in these cases needs two things: a quick and well-informed diagnosis and modern, efficient treatments. Hospitals do these things best.
Lastly, we are often asked whether the expansion and new physicians will lead to extended hours – evenings or perhaps weekends, or even a clinic structure. Newly trained doctors come well-trained in the skills required to work in a flexible family health team structure. One way of building their practice quickly would be to offer broader services, including expanded hours. As the Medical Centre Board, we are not in a position to require that this occur, but we will do our best to encourage it. However, in the end it is the individual doctor’s decision, since each of them runs his or her own business.
It is exciting and a relief to be near the start of construction. If it can occur by early July (our fond hope!), the project should be largely complete by Christmas. During the construction period, there will be some noise and temporary parking arrangements. We will work hard to keep these inconveniences to a minimum.
What are we getting for all this money? In addition to the space for a new physician, the building’s accessibility will be considerably improved. Parking and wide entrances at the front of the building will shorten the walk to the building for everyone, especially those dealing with mobility issues. Push-button doors will eliminate the need for a strong right arm on entry and a stair lift will make descending to the basement both safe and easy.
While discussions are still at a very early stage, we hope to attract a lab to the Centre for, perhaps, a couple of half-days per week. A new large meeting room in the basement will allow us to bring medical specialists to Creemore for patient group meetings, rather than requiring these patients to drive to Collingwood, Wasaga Beach or beyond. It will be a more comfortable building to be in. A lot of positive changes! Thanks again for your support, which makes all these improved services possible.