Ayer’s Cliff Health Co-op: What Prevents It From Growing?

After losing a physician last September and down to one doctor who comes in every two weeks, preserving the quality of care for about 1,600 patients who depend on more on nurses for attention and advice has been a challenge for the health co-op.

According to CBC News, Janet Manuel, a nurse from the health co-op said that having no doctor in the clinic at all times gives her a little pressure since patients are looking forward to her. On a part-time basis, few of the health care professionals including a physiotherapist, podiatrist, and a general surgeon work at the co-op but with only one practitioner, it should stop allowing new patients with as many as 350 prospective members on a growing waiting list. Without payments of new membership fees to boost the clinic's funds, the co-op decided to reduce the working hours of the nurses. "You're squeezing your five days work into four days now," said Manuel. "You want to see the patients; you want to answer [them]."

On the other hand, Carol Mooney, the co-op's president, says looking for a new physician would continue the growth of the clinic that has been a hit with people living around the Ayer's Cliff starting a year and a half ago. She claims that most of the hospital's patients had been ignoring their health due to lack of interest in going to Sherbrook or Magog to receive care and she stated that the patients just love the fact that they can come to a friendly bilingual clinic where sometimes, a neighbor can bring them, and they don't have to go to the city.

Some of the citizens frequently asked about the benefits of becoming a member and according to the CSVM or Massawippi Valley Health Centre, one of its substantial benefits is the participation of the members in prevention and health promotion activities.

On behalf of the health co-op, membership cancellations have been rare in spite of the decreased access to a physician. Not hoping to lose the number of members by going with the status quo for much longer. However, the clinic claims that it has reached out to local elected officials for help in looking a new physician. A new physician would let them admit more members and move closer to being completely self-sustaining. Dian Cohen, secretary-treasurer who have been with the co-op since it opened, said "We need approximately 2025 people, and we would be a totally self-sufficient operation," "But we need doctors to be able to give access to primary care [to those patients]."

Despite the stunted growth due to the loss of physician, the health co-op holds on to these encouraging signs.