The Sault Star published an article Jun 27, 2023
By Rocco Frangione
The healthcare professionals who work at the Burk’s Falls Family Health Team are enjoying a much needed facelift to the health centre.
The employees are now working in a renovated facility which included repurposing the former emergency reception into office space.
Christine Barr is the Administrative Assistant for the Village of Burk’s Falls who also coordinates the health centre’s administration.
Barr said one of the significant improvements includes how the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) can now operate at the facility.
“The OTN used to be in a small room and they regularly dealt with people with mobility challenges, like people with walkers,” Barr said. “So you’d have the nurse, the patient and a walker in a tiny area. But the bigger space has really improved matters”.
The medical centre is a two storey building and some medical-related work was carried out on the second floor.
Burk’s Falls Mayor Chris Hope says with the existing space now being put to better use, the second floor can be renovated in the future which includes green initiatives like retrofitting the windows and a new heating system.
Rod Ward, who is Mayor of Armour Township and also chairs the Almaguin Highlands Health Council, says the 10 member communities of the health council helped pay for the renovations with a combined contribution of $78,548.
The health centre houses 12 healthcare professionals and administrative staff.
Ward says there are six physicians, a nurse practitioner, two nurses plus administration personnel.
He adds apart from this there is also a mental health counsellor and an OTN nurse.
Burk’s Falls Mayor Chris Hope says the centre “goes into areas that are under-served” a function he says that is carried out by the mental health counsellor.