In a first for Iroquois Falls, a private nurse practitioner service is aiming to fill some gaps in local primary health care.
Sam Deneault has opened Northern Lights Health Services at 97 Ambridge Dr., sharing space with the Aboriginal People’s Alliance of Northern Ontario.
Visits are not covered by OHIP. But Deneault says for anyone who can afford it, she offers all the services a primary care doctor’s office does.
“I can do labs. I can do tests, all medications,” she itemizes. “I can send you for referrals to specialists; as well as all the in-house services such as cortisone, vaccinations, prenatal care…”
Deneault insists that she’s not trying to promote private health care.
“I’m utilizing it right now as a tool to fill the gaps in health. But I’m always going to advocate that we can hopefully have that standardized, free health care.”
Deneault says the association of nurse practitioners she’s a member of is campaigning to have clinics like Northern Lights Health Services covered by OHIP, as doctors’ offices are.
For more details including how to get an appointment, check out the audio of our interview with nurse practitioner Sam Deneault on our website.
There’s much more detail in our conversation with Sam Deneault, right here: