A new physician is coming to Kincardine next year.
Physician Recruiter and Hawthorne Community Clinic Manager Chrystel Murphy says Dr. Pamela Gill will be joining the community to practice family medicine.
Gill is a graduate of McMaster University’s medical school, and is completing her medical residency in London.
“This is exciting news because she will be joining three other new physicians in 2024 and we are really getting close to our goal of everyone having access,” says Murphy.
She will join Dr. Owen Montpellier, Dr. Allegra Reeves, and Dr. Janine Van Veghel, who all will be practising in the community next year as well.
“I am excited to practice medicine in Kincardine. My family and I love the outdoors and feel that it will be a wonderful place to both work and raise our family,” says Gill.
The Kincardine Family Health Organization has 10 physicians who provide primary care for 14,500 patients.
The municipality says, however, it would like to have more than 15 who are able to work emergency room shifts, provide hospital inpatient coverage, retirement home care, pregnancy and baby wellness programs, palliative care, memory clinics, mental health management, and care for patients in all stages of life.
Murphy says the number of patients Gill will be able to tend to is a work in progress as they put together a practice plan.
“We will announce to patients as soon as there is a path forward with more information to sign up for those in need of a doctor,” says Murphy.
She adds there will be a big community rollout with information and what the process will be to ensure everyone has a fair opportunity to have access to a physician.
“It’s going to have a real positive impact. Dr. Gill is real excited to move here,” says Murphy. “It’s going to give better access to primary care to physicians for a lot of people.”
Mayor Kenneth Craig says the physician recruitment program for the area has been a success.
“The efforts of our physician recruiter and the Kincardine Family Physicians are showing with these new hires. We have a positive future for recruitment, retention, and for the doctors and their families joining us. I would personally like to welcome Dr. Gill to our community,” says Craig.