St. Joseph's Family Medical and Dental Centre joins the Thames Valley Family Health Team

The Thames Valley Family Health Team is happy to announce that three new physician groups are now affiliated with our Family Health Team. More than 39,000 patients within the Alliance Family Health Organization (FHO) and the Perry Street FHO in Woodstock as well as the Oxford & St. Joseph's FHO in London will soon receive access to additional health services currently enjoyed by over 118,000 patients in London as well as Elgin and Middlesex counties.

A collaborative approach to family health care, the Thames Valley Family Health Team brings together different health care providers including nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers, dietitians, pharmacists and others. Our health professionals will work closely with 32 physicians within the Alliance, Perry Street and Oxford & St. Joseph's FHOs, utilizing their experience and skills to co-ordinate the highest possible quality of care for their patients.

Dr. Paul Briggs of the Allliance FHO and Dr. William George of the Perry Street FHO are excited about this new partnership: "Having these new skills to call on, for example occupational therapy or respiratory therapy, will support us in caring for our patients and their families."

"Joining the TVFHT is excellent news for our patients," says Karen Perkin, vice president acute and ambulatory, professional practice and chief nursing executive at St. Joseph's Health Care London. "This partnership provides opportunities for patients of St. Joseph's family physicians to access services and programing from health professionals on site at our Family Medical Centre that are not currently available."

The Thames Valley Family Health Team will soon begin recruiting health care professionals to work in these three new locations. Keri Selkirk, executive director, says: "We're thrilled to be bringing these new resources to the Alliance, Perry Street and Oxford & St. Joseph's FHOs. We look forward to working with them to understand how we can help meet their patients' needs, whether through direct patient care or by expanding some of our existing programs such as chronic pain self-management."

About the Thames Valley Family Health Team (TVFHT):

In existence since 2007, the TVFHT is comprised of 13 teams of family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers, dietitians, and other professionals. We care for over 140,000 patients located in London and Middlesex, Oxford and Elgin counties, including over 20,000 patients that did not previously have a family physician. Our health professionals accounted for over 82,000 patient visits last year.

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For more information, please contact:

Keri Selkirk, Executive Director
Thames Valley Family Health Team
Phone: 519-473-0530, ext. 113
Fax: 519-286-0577
keri.selkirk@thamesvalleyfht.ca
www.thamesvalleyfht.ca