December 2008

The Harrow Health Centre Inc.,

A Family Health Team

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO OUR PATIENTS

There are important changes to our physician staffing

We are very pleased to announce

that three new Doctors are seeing our patients in our facility

Dr. Alexandra Lindberg has been seeing patients here since early October

Dr. Tim Hogan began seeing patients Dec. 3, 2008

Dr. Francis Goyeau, a local resident, has begun the process of re-entering practice and began seeing patients Dec. 4, 2008

Dr. Tak-Kee Cheung will continue to see our patients

In addition, Cathy MacPherson NP, Ann Desroisers NP,Heather Raymond NP and Danielle Garant RPN continue to help provide primary care to our patients.

Dr. Pavenjeet Chand will be leaving our Team

effective January 17, 2009

As an existing patient of the Harrow Family Health Team:

You, the patient, have the choice to stay with our facility and be cared for by our growing team of Doctors and Allied Health Providers

Or

You, the patient, may choose to move with Dr. Chand to her new practice in Amherstburg

Please contact the Administrator at the Harrow Health Centre if you need further information at 519-738-2000 ext. 20

For Better Health, The Board of Directors of the Harrow Family Health Team 

What is a Family Health Team?

A Family Health Team is an approach to primary health care that brings together different health care providers to co-ordinate the highest possible quality of care for enrolled patients

Designed to give doctors support from other complementary professionals, most Family Health Teams will consist of doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners and other health care professionals who work collaboratively, each utilizing their experience and skills so that you receive the very best care, when you need it, as close to home as possible

Our Mission

The Harrow Health Centre will work together with our community to achieve excellence in the provision of health care by ensuring quality, responsiveness, accessibility, effectiveness, productivity and continuity of health care.

What is a Nurse Practitioner?

A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse who has received advanced training in the diagnosis and management of common as well as complex medical conditions. Nurse Practitioners provide a broad range of health care services:

• Collaborating with physicians and other health professionals as needed, including providing referrals
• Counseling and educating patients on health behaviours, self-care skills, and treatment options
• Diagnosing and treating acute illnesses, infections, and injuries
• Diagnosing, treating, and monitoring chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes, high blood pressure)
• Obtaining medical histories and conducting physical examinations
• Ordering, performing, and interpreting diagnostic studies (e.g., lab tests, x-rays, EKGs)
• Prescribing medications
• Prescribing physical therapy and other rehabilitation treatments
• Providing prenatal care and family planning services
• Providing well-child care, including screening and immunizations
• Providing health maintenance care for adults, including annual physicals

Becoming a Patient…..

May 2007

WE ARE HERE!!! AND WHAT A FACILITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY!!

Kudos to all who have given so much to make our Family Health Team a reality. Thank you’s, in no particular order, go to: the Board of Directors, the innumerable volunteers who have given their time and their financial support, the local and national businesses, community leaders, the Ministry of Health, the staff and all those who have provided encouragement during the development of OUR Family Health Team.

The residents of Harrow/Colchester South are justifiably very proud of what they have accomplished.

Please come and join us on June 2 as we commemorate our “grand opening”. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at 11:00am followed by an open house for tours of the new facility. There will be a reception featuring local restaurants and local wineries who have been supportive of us during the development of our building. Enjoy the camaraderie of your neighbours as we celebrate this important date in Harrow’s history

April 2007

April has been an exciting time for our community as our new building is being completed. Construction crews have been very busy finishing the interior and they remain on schedule for occupation in May. We have been in touch with the office of the Minister of Health and they have proposed a grand opening in early June. What a great day that will be for our community.

Our Team will continue to deliver primary care services at 43 King St. W. until we move. There will be announcements in The Harrow News of our intended operational date.

A special thank you goes to all our staff and our patients who have endured our cramped quarters over

March 2007

As we take our first few steps into spring, visions of a healthier Harrow emerge.

Healthier individuals, healthier families and a healthier community. The Harrow Family Health Team and its professional staff are committed towards better health care for all and strive to make this a reality.

The new building continues to take shape as a wonderful facility where patients and their families will be able to access better health care. Our attempt is to make this a centre of excellence not only for the ill but also for those who want to gain knowledge and advice about disease, its prevention and control.

Services are offered over extended hours from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday through Thursday and 8:00 am to 6:00 pm on Fridays. Patients are welcome to come in and enroll with our family physicians between 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm every weekday. We would like to remind our patients that the Harrow Family Health Team is not a walk-in clinic and patients will only be seen by appointment. Please contact our reception to book your appointment.

As we move into warmer weather, we seem to be on schedule for our grand opening in May. The interior and exterior of the new facility is complete and the finishing touches are being given. Keep watching this site for information on our official opening.

See you there!      

February brought lots of snow, ice-cold winds, freezing temperatures and unfortunately, the dreaded Flu. The Harrow Family Health Team was prepared for this onslaught and our expert team of Health Providers and trained staff were ready to face the health challenges. Our services are available to patients over extended hours so patients can access health services from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday through Thursday and 8:00 am to 6:00 pm on Fridays.

These extended hours are much appreciated by the community. New patients also found their way to the Harrow Family Health Team and were delighted to be able to enroll and meet their new Family Physician or Nurse Practitioner.

Construction of our new building is on schedule and our crew is working hard to make this structure take shape as a state-of-the-art Healthcare facility in Harrow. Once again, kudos to members of our community and your efforts in making this dream a reality. The exterior of the building is almost complete and the interior is progressing well. Our aim is to provide patients and their families a friendly and comfortable environment where they can access better health care. 

Our vision of a Family Health Team also encompasses a wide array of services including patient education, healthcare advice and health awareness which will help in preventing disease and provide our community with a superior, healthier quality of life.

We will continue to provide information and updates on our Family Health Team on this site so stay tuned for further information and development of this exciting venture!

January 2007

It has been sometime since we last updated our progress at the Harrow Family Health Team and the reason one can possibly quote is the speed with which we have accomplished so much in such little time.

Our New Year had a promising start with Dr. Pavan Chand joining our team of Physicians at our 43 King Street West location at the beginning of the New Year. Dr. Chand completed her residency in Family Medicine from the University Health Network at Toronto. Having spent many years as a Nuclear Medicine physician in India, Dr. Chand brings with her experience and knowledge of patient care ranging from Primary Health care to Tertiary Health services.

Her interaction with the local community and patients visiting the Harrow Family Health Team has been positive and encouraging and we look forward to a long and lasting relationship with Dr. Pavan Chand.

On January 15^th 2007 we also saw a new development in the form of a Clinical Manager joining our team of experts. Dr. Sanjay Chand, an Associate Professor of Medicine from a reputable medical college in India, the Christian Medical College and Hospital, took over the responsibility of Clinical Manager of the Harrow Family Health Team. His presence will see the Family Health Team make great progress in areas of Health Promotion, Patient Education, Clinical Research and state-of-the-art technology in medical care.

Our new building at Erie Street south is on schedule for a grand opening early in May. The roof is in place and the exterior brickwork is almost complete. The progress we have made in construction and design has been greatly helped by the wonderful weather we have been experiencing and we feel a ‘Divine Intervention’ in assisting us with completion of such a tremendous project.

Meanwhile, the list of people from the Community who have contributed, volunteered and assisted us in making this dream a reality keeps growing and each day brings a new surprise in the form of a good Samaritan. We thank all members of this community and are grateful to those who selflessly put themselves forward for the benefit of this wonderful venture. We appreciate your efforts and with your support we will continue to be leaders for ‘Better Health Care’ in Ontario.