Niagara Falls Community Health Centre sees new provincial funding to help underserved patients

The Niagara Falls Community Health Centre (NFCHC) is welcoming much needed provincial funding to expand staff, and offer more wraparound care to underserved patients.

There were smiling faces all around at the centre Monday, following the announcement of nearly $3 million in funding.

“It’s a bold step towards providing care for the underprivileged, for the underserved,” said Terica Larmond, the board chair at the health centre. “We’re trying to reach people at the grassroots.”

The funding means the non-profit will be able to double the number of patients they care for, from 3,500 to around 7,000.

“I want people who are out in the community to know that we are here for them,” said Alison Mattatall, the Clinical Director at the health centre. “It doesn’t matter where they come from, where they’re going, newcomers, new babies – you’re going to get care.”

The province says they are aiming to connect everyone to a primary care doctor by 2029, and Dr. Jobin Varughese with the Ontario College of Family Physicians said that care is essential.

“Without a family physician, there can be issues with delayed diagnoses, or missed opportunities for screening, like cancer screenings or vaccinations,” said Varughese.

The community health centre started out with only three staff members when it first opened 15 years ago.

This investment will allow them to grow to 67 staff members, including five primary care providers.

“There’s more than 15,000 residents in Niagara Falls who don’t have ongoing primary care with a family physician, or a nurse practitioner, so when they’re looking for care, they’re going to a walk-in-clinic, or emergency care centres,” said Laura Blundell, the Executive Director at the NFCHC.

Wayne Gates, the MPP of Niagara Falls, continues to sound the alarm on urgent care needs in Niagara, which already saw two of its centres in Fort Erie and Port Colborne shut down on select days during the summer, due to lack of staffing.

“Health care is important,” said Gates. “It’s important for our seniors, it’s important for our community, it’s important for new Canadians, so we’re working together.”

Gates said they will keep putting pressure on the government to ensure there’s accessible healthcare for everybody.

READ MORE: Niagara Health launches new program to connect youth with family doctors