The Citizen, 2017-04-20, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017.
Royal Oaks Medical Centre prepares for doctors
Open for business
The Royal Oaks Medical Centre in Wingham, formerly the
Wingham Public School, recently opened its doors. The site
is home to the Huron County Health Unit, OneCare, the
North Huron Family Health Team and a new pharmacy,
Royal Oaks Remedy's Pharmacy. Shown are pharmacy
assistant Liz Jamieson -Visser, left, and pharmacist
Matthew DiGiovanni. (Denny Scott photo)
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
The Royal Oaks Medical Centre,
at the site of the previous Wingham
Public School, will be moving
doctors from the existing clinic
space at the Wingham and District
Hospital to their new offices in the
building marking the completion of
the project.
The structure, which was bought
two years ago to provide more space
for the Wingham hospital and other
healthcare organizations in the
community, is a realization of the
importance of centralization in a
rural community according to
Hospital CEO Karl Ellis.
"In rural healthcare it's important
to have people working closer
together," he said. "That goal is
made easier with a structure like
this: a single campus"
The centre, which is across the
road from the existing hospital,
doesn't represent a want to expand
Ellis said, but was an opportunity
that couldn't be passed up.
"We weren't looking for new real
estate, but it made sense to co -locate
services and groups to that location,"
he said.
The site is already home to several
organization including OneCare, the
Huron County Health Unit and
Royal Oaks Remedy's Pharmacy, a
retail site.
"OneCare was the first to commit
to the site," Ellis said. "They've
moved their day program and
administration to the building and
been here for almost half a year."
Programming offered by OneCare
at the site include meals and events.
The Health Unit wanted to be
close to F.E. Madill Secondary
School to make it more accessible
for students, according to Ellis, so
the site, which is approximately one
block away, proved to be an ideal
site for them as well.
The North Huron Family Health
Team has moved in to the top half of
the two -floor, completely rebuilt
section of the facility that used to be
the gymnasium, Ellis explained. The
organization has space for their staff,
including nurse practitioners, nurses,
dieticians, pharmacists and doctors,
along with examination rooms for
patients. One addition to the
structure allowed for the installation
of an elevator to access the medical
suites.
The site will feature outpatient
services, Ellis said, including blood
work, which is currently handled in
the hospital.
The site is ideal, Ellis said, as it's
close to the hospital, allowing staff
to move between the two sites
quickly and easily.
While some of the site, like the
former gymnasium, would be
unrecognizable to former students
and staff of Wingham Public School,
some of the building still very much
resembles the school, including
classrooms that have remained
largely unchanged but are used as
board and meeting rooms. One such
room has proven to be an ideal
meeting place for the Wingham
Hospital Auxiliary group who holds
euchre, bridge and crokinole events
there.
The facility still has space for
more doctors, which Ellis says is
important when trying to recruit
physicians. It also has space for
other healthcare providers, like
dentists or massage therapists, if
they wish to move in Ellis said.
As far as the name of the facility,
Ellis says that three large oak trees
located on the southeast property
line of the former school are to
thank. After some research, it was
discovered that they were planted for
a royal visit.
"We looked at other names, but
Maitland River is already associated
with Goderich," Ellis said. "We also
looked at naming it for North Huron,
but we go beyond that. We offer
services for people outside the
community and within it."
As for the renovation project
itself, Ellis said it was completed on
A great season
The Wingham Curling Club recently held its year-end banquet at the Wingham Golf and
Curling Club and honoured the competitors who took top honours over the course of the
season. The above team won the season's first draw, and with it the Foxton Trophy. From left:
Second Leota King, Vice Ross Peacock, Skip Barry Elliott and Bob Foxton presenting the
trophy to the team. Absent was the team's Lead Diane Simpson. (Photo submitted)
budget and mostly on time, though
he said some people wanted to be in
the site earlier.
Changes included more parking
space for the facility, as well as
storm water management and
extensive rebuilds of the interior of
the school.
Doctors are set to move into the
facility in approximately a month,
Ellis said, though a date has yet to be
finalized.
Huron County Health Unit
1131 One Care Home &
Community Support Services
North Huron Family
Health Team
Expansion
Health and wellness services have a new home in
Wingham with the opening of the Royal Oaks Medical
Centre. The centre, located at the former Wingham Public
School, is home to a new pharmacy, the North Huron
Family Health Team, OneCare home and community
support services, the Huron County Health Unit and has
more space available for expansion. The site is open,
however doctors aren't scheduled to move into the family
health suite until May. (Denny Scott photo)
STILL
RUNNING
OUT TO
FETCH
THE
PAPER?iip°41z-liw.
1`
Having a subscription to
The Citizen
saves you money
Newsstand price - $1.25/week
Subscription price - 72¢/week
Save
up to
$2650
a year off
newsstand
price
Yes - I want to save money.
Enclosed is $36.00 for a 1 -year subscription
Name
Address
Town Postal Code
On-line subscriptions available too at www.northhuron.on.ca
Mail cheque & coupon to:
P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152,
Blyth, ON NOM 1H0 Brussels, ON NOG 1H0