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Collingwood, ON [29 October 2024] – Collingwood now has a new family doctor, thanks to a new program that helps bring doctors to our town. Other towns around Southern Georgian Bay have also used this idea to solve their doctor shortages.
On December 6, 2023, Collingwood Council decided to spend $14,000 each year for five years to help recruit doctors, totalling up to $70,000. One important rule is that the new doctor must mainly see patients from Collingwood while receiving this support. The doctor also needs to take on at least 900 patients within the first 18 months to help those who need care.
Collingwood is working with other local leaders to address the shortage of family doctors. The Town is part of the South Georgian Bay Regional Mayors’ and CAOs’ Forum, which recently talked to the Ministry of Health about this problem. Collingwood is also part of a team with other towns to recruit doctors, led by the South Georgian Bay Ontario Health Team. Having local health care is very important for our community. We are happy to announce that Dr. Matthew Ladda has joined the Georgian Bay Family Health Organization at 339 Hume Street.
Dr. Ladda grew up in New Brunswick and started as a pharmacist. He then went to medical school at the University of Toronto and completed his training at Western University. He and his partner, along with their dog Ruby, moved to Collingwood last summer. Before starting his own practice, Dr. Ladda helped out other family doctors and worked at the Collingwood After-Hours Walk-In clinic. His patient list is now full.
If you don’t have a family doctor or nurse practitioner, sign up for a local waitlist through the South Georgian Bay Ontario Health Team at www.southgeorgianbayoht.ca/community-wellness. If you need non-emergency care, you can see a nurse practitioner at the Shoreline Health Clinic in the Wasaga Beach Medical Clinic. You can also visit the After-Hours Clinics in Wasaga Beach (705-422-4019) or Collingwood (705-445-9711) for help.
Residents without a family doctor in Ontario who need non-emergent care can book an appointment with a nurse practitioner at the Shoreline Health Clinic in the Wasaga Beach Medical Clinic. All residents who need non-emergent care can also access Walk-In care at the After-Hours Clinic at the Wasaga Beach Medical Clinic (705-422-4019) or the Collingwood After-Hours Clinic (705-445-9711).
I am so happy to have been able to set up my family practice in Collingwood. The support of the local medical community and town has been instrumental in my decision to lay down roots in Collingwood and I look forward to caring for my patients in this wonderful community! I love the longitudinal and relationship-based care that family medicine allows for and could not see myself working in any other capacity,” says Dr. Matthew Ladda. “While I have taken on hundreds of patients without a family doctor, I alone cannot take everyone. Unfortunately, the family medicine crisis continues to worsen across Ontario with 1 in 4 Ontarians projected to be without a family physician by 2026 unless immediate appropriate action is taken. I encourage those frustrated with the state of our healthcare system to share their concerns with their local MPP.”
“We are thrilled to welcome our newest doctor to our community,” says Councillor Brandon Houston. “Doctor Ladda’s presence will help address the critical healthcare needs of our residents and ensure better access to care for those in need of a family doctor in Collingwood.”
Collingwood Council has sent a letter to Premier Doug Ford, urging the Province of Ontario to recognize the physician shortage in Collingwood and Ontario, to fund health care appropriately, and ensure every Ontarian has access to physician care.
Pictured: Councilor Brandon Houston and Dr. Matthew Ladda
