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South Georgian Bay COVID-19, Cold and Flu Care Clinic Now Open

Picture of sick man with mask on, lying down with sick symptoms.

The South Georgian Bay Ontario Health Team (SGBOHT) is pleased to announce the opening of the South Georgian Bay COVID-19, Cold and Flu Care Clinic. The clinic provides assessment and care, by appointment, for people experiencing COVID-19, cold or flu symptoms and helps offset pressures facing the hospital's emergency department. The clinic is an initiative that supports the shared purpose of the SGBOHT to keep residents in the South Georgian Bay community safe and was made possible thanks to the longstanding and trusting relationships across the community.

"The COVID-19, Cold and Flu Care Clinic is for those experiencing COVID-19, cold or flu symptoms who feel they need to see a doctor or nurse practitioner," says Dr. Carola Elkhuizen, Physician with the Georgian Bay Family Health Organization. "We suggest that patients first access their family doctor or nurse practitioner if possible. The clinic offers quick and safe access to care to support our community and ease the burden on our local emergency department. Patients should know that the clinic will not be providing COVID-19 testing or sick notes."

As part of this collaborative effort to keep the community safe during COVID-19 and to help reduce the burden on the hospital's emergency room, OHT Partners and primary care physicians are supporting the clinic's daily operations. It is staffed by local nurse practitioners from the Georgian Bay Family Health Team (GBFHT) and local primary care and hospital physicians. In addition to these dedicated clinical contributions, the clinic is supported by many SGBOHT partners and staff. This includes clinic operational support through the GBFHT management staff, and resources from the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital in supplying essential infrastructure and Personal Protective Equipment, to keep clinic staff and patients safe.

"The successful and efficient establishment of the clinic to keep our community safe during this Omicron wave and beyond is a direct result of the longstanding relationships and shared purpose of the SGBOHT partners and supporters to keep our community safe, says Marie LaRose, Executive Director of the Georgian Bay Family Health Team. "In a few hours, we went from meeting as a planning team to seeing our first patient. Thanks to our strong relationships, we were able to quickly come together, devise a plan and create this new clinic to ensure that everyone in South Georgian Bay can access health care for their symptoms and receive additional support as needed."

Appointments to the clinic are available Monday to Friday afternoons and can be booked on the South Georgian Bay Ontario Health Team website: www.southgeorgianbayoht.ca/informationtesting, by contacting your family physician, or dialling 2-1-1 (24/7 bilingual helpline). The booking system opens the day before the appointment is available. Once an appointment has been booked, patients are asked to arrive at 186 Erie Street in Collingwood and stay in their vehicle. At the time of the appointment, the South Georgian Bay COVID-19, Cold and Flu Care Clinic staff will all. During this call, a nurse practitioner or physician will assess whether an in-person physical assessment is needed, or the patient is able to return home with health teaching and advice.

COVID-19 testing and vaccine information can also be found on the South Georgian Bay Ontario Health Team website here: www.southgeorgianbayoht.ca

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