The Sudbury District Nurse Practitioner Clinics (SDNPC) opened its doors to patients during the summer of 2007. The current clinic site is located near the downtown core in the Greater City of Sudbury.  The SDNPC provides health care services in Chapleau and a third site within the Greater City of Sudbury is planned. This clinic represents a bold step forward in primary health-care delivery because it provides patients who do not have a family physician with access to comprehensive primary care.  This model of care also utilizes nurse practitioners in a way that allows them to practice to their full scope of practice and recognizes their unique contribution to the health-care system as vital and necessary if Ontario is to meet the current challenges facing the system.

Sudbury District NP Clinics offer all the services that patients can expect from any family practice.  The care is delivered by an interdisciplinary team of nurse practitioners and physicians.  Nurse practitioners (NPs) are the primary health-care providers for patients accessing health care at the clinic. NPs complete patient intakes, physical assessments and send patients for diagnostic testing.  They diagnose and prescribe medication for a variety of illnesses and monitor stable chronic illness.  Many of the patients will only need to see their nurse practitioner; however, physicians are available to see patients on site and are also available for consultation with the nurse practitioners when necessary.  The clinic has hired two medical secretaries/receptionists as well as a business administrator who are integral to the operations of the clinic as they ensure that providers have proper support in their roles and can focus on patient care.

Premier McGuinty visits April 2008

Key Highlights:

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  Minister of Health and Long Term Care George Smitherman at Grand Opening August 2007
  A unique team approach allows the clinic to take on complex patients whose care needs may be too difficult for a sole provider to manage.
• The clinic offers interdisciplinary team placements for NP, RN, MD and medical secretary students.
• The clinic raises the profile of the community of Sudbury as a site of a new and innovative health-care delivery model.
• The clinic provides bilingual services.
• The clinic answers to a board of directors which has significant community representation to ensure the vision of the clinic and full implementation of the NP role is respected.