CBC Hamilton Published an article on August 14th 2022
By Bobby Hristova
Hundreds of patients already signed up for the 688 Queensdale Ave. clinic that opens Monday.
Hamilton Mountain is getting a new family medicine clinic that is poised to serve roughly 3,600 patients, an addition that comes amid a Canadian shortage of family physicians.
The clinic, run by the Hamilton Family Health Team (HFHT), opens Monday at 688 Queensdale Ave. and will have patients registered to doctors, rather than taking walk-ins.
Doctors Natalie Klostermann, Joyce Moore and Rebecca Voth say they're eager to get started.
"Really getting to know the patient and see them through a lifetime, hopefully … is a privilege," Klostermann said.
You walk with people for many, many years … that's the beautiful part of family medicine.- Dr. Rebecca Voth
Moore grew up in Hamilton and Voth grew up in Kitchener, Ont. They both studied at McMaster University and Klostermann studied at the University of Toronto. All three now live in Hamilton.
Terry McCarthy, HFHT executive director, said the three doctors are starting with no patients, which will benefit people looking for a family doctor.
What's behind the doctor shortage?
Brad van den Heuvel, a recruitment specialist with Hamilton Physicians at the David Braley Health Sciences Centre, said there are roughly 363 active, permanent family doctors in the city. There are other part-time or contract doctors, but van den Heuvel noted it's hard to track how many.
He said the city needs roughly 50 more doctors (assuming local doctors are assigned to 1,380 patients each) to ensure everyone has one. But he notes that doesn't mean there are thousands of people without care.