Aboriginal chronic disease clinic opens in Thunder Bay

Clients appreciate the time and care they are receiving at the new Anishnawbe Mushkiki Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic in Thunder Bay.
“They love it; they’re happy,” said Deborah McGoldrick, nurse practitioner clinic lead at the new clinic. “We work differently. We have a little bit more time to spend with people and they appreciate that. And because it’s chronic disease management, you can’t do appointments in five, 10, 15 minutes.”
McGoldrick said the clinic has already helped a number of patients who had uncontrolled diabetes.
“Within two months, we’ve got their sugars back under control,” McGoldrick said. “They’re coming in regularly for appointments with their dietician and their diabetes team.”
Anishnawbe Mushkiki developed the new clinic, which is in located on the second floor of the Chapple Building at the Victoriaville Centre, to provide better access to chronic disease management and health care.
“Our focus is Aboriginal health care,” McGoldrick said. “We will be dealing with those chronic diseases that Aboriginal people face, such as diabetes, arthritis, any heart conditions, mental health issues.”
The new clinic features a new primary health care delivery model with nurse practitioners, in collaboration with registered nurses, registered practical nurses and family physicians, providing comprehensive, accessible and coordinated family health care services to people without a primary care provider.
“If someone doesn’t have a (primary care) provider, we can take them on,” McGoldrick said. “We’ve already, by word-of-mouth and interacting with other groups, taken on a lot of clients.”
McGoldrick said the clinic focuses on prevention, maintenance and health teaching for their patients. About 250 clients have registered since the clinic began operations this past winter.
“If a lot of your family is already having diabetes and you are obviously at higher risk for it, we are going to work with you so you don’t become one of the statistics,” McGoldrick said. “We try to keep you as healthy as possible.”
Corinna Gagnon, executive director of Anishnawbe Mushkiki, said there is a great need for health care among the Aboriginal population in Thunder Bay.
“I know our other clinic (in the Anishnawbe Mushkiki building on Royston Court) is maxed to capacity,” Gagnon said. “With this clinic, you have to be 16 and older without a provider.”
Anishnawbe Mushkiki’s Royston Court clinic currently provides services for Aboriginal people in Thunder Bay, from newborn on up.