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When Port Hope industrialist John Helm, Jr. died in 1912, he left money to build a new hospital in a town whose residents had limited access to only small, private hospitals. The hospital was never built, but 109 years after his death, Mr. Helm’s vision for increased access to health care in the community has become reality with the opening of the VON Alternative Care Setting (ACS) Clinic, located in Helm’s own red brick Italianate mansion on Peter Street. 

The impetus for the new clinic was the same as Helm’s bequest: even today, there are many residents who don’t have sufficient access to care. “We weren’t able to meet referral acceptance rates,” explains registered nurse care and service manager Leeann Rhoddy when asked what led to the clinic’s creation. She is quick to point out, however, that this is not a walk-in clinic (“There aren’t a lot of those in the area either,” she adds). Clients must be referred to the clinic by Home and Community Care Support Services Central East (formerly the Central East LHIN), which provides ongoing funding for its operation. The clinic’s start-up costs as well as rent for the first four months (at a reduced rate negotiated by the team) were covered by the HNPE Community Corporation.

"The home care team of Rhoddy, registered practical nurse Nicole Velhoen and administrative assistant Sarah Bradshaw were given a mission to turn the vision for the clinic into reality, and without this support, it wouldn't have been possible," says Elizabeth Loftus, the South East district's executive director of home care.  

The ACS clinic is next to what was once a 70-unit motel and is now low-income housing for seniors. "The space became more significant once I had a bit of an understanding of who resided in the units adjacent to the clinic. VON has an opportunity right outside our own clinic front door," says Liz. Staff is hoping to form a relationship with the residents to ensure they receive the care and support needed. “The location is reminiscent of the days when VON clinics were embedded in a community of need. We’re actively seeking to understand the needs [of the community] and have plans to respond to them by developing a model of comprehensive care in the clinic setting, based on the needs assessment,” says Liz. 

The clinic is run and staffed by nurses (RNs and RPNs). In addition to standard nursing services, the clinic also offers enterostomal therapy (ET), such as wound care or ostomy care, once a week. This care is provided by a registered nurse with specialized training in ET. "This will be a valuable offering to the community as ET specialists are very hard to find,” says Rhoddy. 

Leading up to its opening on September 13, Loftus was busy letting the local hospital, Ontario Health Teams, community health centres and other providers in the community know about the new clinic in town. “The local hospital is very engaged in our success. We are accepting 100% of our referral volume, which has a direct impact on emergency department volumes and hospital length-of-stay," she says. The first day it opened, the clinic accepted 15 referrals, and has accepted 62 to date, which could translate into a minimum of 180 visits. The team has also hired another full-time nurse and more part-time nurses.

“So far we have received incredibly positive feedback from all of the patients, both new patients and those who opted to transfer from our in-home services,” says Sarah Bradshaw, Administrative Assistant.

Future plans include ramping up to 12-hour days (8:30 am to 8:30 pm), seven days a week, possibly adding a nurse practitioner to the staff as well as provide a range of community support services for at-risk and low-income communities.