Hub Staff

Once again the staff of Saugeen Shores are hopeful to bring a second Nurse Practitioner (NP) from the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) to the community to help reduce the number of orphan patients in the region.

At the September 28 Committee of Whole meeting, Director of Protective Services Phil Eagleson announced to Council that an agreement has been reached with the VON to recruit a Nurse Practitioner who could potentially onboard 500 rostered patients. The new NP will also provide service to transient members of the community such as visitors and seasonal residents.

If approved by Council, the recruitment would begin in late 2020 and could have the new Nurse Practitioner in place by early 2021. The two Nurse Practitioners will work out of the Southampton Medical Clinic along with five other doctors in the building, bringing it to full capacity.

Saugeen Shores Mayor Charbonneau emphasized the importance of bringing this position to Saugeen Shores and securing care for 500 or more orphaned patients. “We’re rostering 500 people and those people aren’t going to lose their primary care provider,” declared Charbonneau. “There’s always going to be a nurse, maybe a different one now and again, but there will always be a nurse there to look after them," he said.

Council voted unanimously to approve the Agreement.