The Belleville Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic at 15 Victoria Ave., Belleville opened its doors in August 2010 to provide primary health care for unattached patients in Hastings, Lennox & Addington, Northumberland, and Prince Edward Counties. It is a non-profit organization that is governed by a Board of Directors, and funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
In March 2023, the clinic received $839,200 from the Ontario government in new annualized funding starting in 2023-2024 to support hiring 2.6 nurse practitioners, 1.5 administration positions, a registered nurse, and a social worker.
In September 2024, Belleville council approved giving the clinic $30,000 to cover the cost of upgrading the HVAC and plumbing to accommodate the additional nurse practitioners. The landlord had carried the costs for the majority of the required building renovations.
In commercial leases, tenants are typically responsible for repair and maintenance of HVAC systems, while landlords cover major repairs or complete replacements.
15 Victoria Ave., Belleville is owned by Applewood Realty Corp, which is owned by Rev. Arnold Maclauchlan, Executive Pastor at Pentecostals of Quinte, who also owns/owned:
- Mac 5 Corp
- Applewood Realty Corporation
- Bellhaven Properties Inc
- Homestead Constructions Ltd
- MacLauchlan Properties Inc
Timeline
September 23, 2024 – Council approves $30,000 funding for HVAC upgrades
and plumbing changes
In order to accommodate the new practitioners, the clinic space at 15 Victoria Ave needed to expand and take on more space in the existing building. Renovations were required and a new HVAC system had to be designed for the expanded space. Council approved funding of up to $30,000 to support the design and installation of these HVAC improvements to service the new space.
Once the design and construction of the new space was underway, it was determined that the changes needed to the HVAC system were not as expensive as originally estimated. However, the cost to expand the required plumbing systems was extensive. The NP Clinic is asking that the City contribute up to $30,000 to pay for the HVAC upgrades and the plumbing changes that were required to accommodate the expanded service. The costs will not exceed the originally approved $30,000 limit.
THAT report No. MPRR 2024-20 from the Manager of Physician Recruitment and Retention regarding funding to permit the expansion of the Nurse Practitioner Led Clinic be received; and
Further that a by-law authorizing a funding agreement with the Nurse Practitioner Led clinic be prepared and provided to Council for consideration.
December 14, 2023 – Applewood Realty Corp pays $338 for a building permit for clinic alteration/improvements worth $20,000 at 15 Victoria Ave
May 23, 2023 – Staff recommends council provide $30,000 to the clinic in the 2023 Operating Budget funded from the Elexicon Dividend Reserve Fund
That Report No MPRR-02 from Manager of Physician Recruitment and Retention be received; and
Further that Council commit up to a maximum of $30,000 funding to the Nurse Practitioner Led Clinic in Belleville to support the attraction of 2.6 new Nurse Practitioners to the City to be funded from the Elexicon Dividend Reserve Fund; and
Further that, the 2023 operating budget be amended to include this expenditure and a by-law authorizing this agreement be prepared and provided to council for their consideration.
The NP clinic recently received the approval of funding for approximately 2.6 new NP’s plus the required support staff. When NP Clinic staff approached the private developer [of a potential satellite NP Clinic on Maitland Drive] about moving ahead with the development, it became very clear that the increase in development costs meant that a satellite clinic in this location was no longer feasible and the timing for
construction would mean that a new clinic would not be ready for a least one year.Although several alternatives were reviewed in order to get the expanded clinic up and operational as quickly and affordably as possible, a plan was put in place to expand the existing clinic (located in a leased building at Victoria and Pinnacle Streets) to accommodate
the expanded resources.This expansion can be completed quickly and with relatively little additional expense and the landlord has been very accommodating when it comes to carrying the costs for the majority of the required building renovations. The Ministry will be covering most costs related to the expansion but will not cover two areas of cost related to the new clinic space.
The Ministry requires that NP clinics be equipped with complex air handling (HVAC) systems that are unique to health care. The NP Clinic has contracted the services of an engineer who has designed and costed the required improvements needed to the expanded space and they
are confident the changes can be made to make the space compliant with Ministry requirements. The NP Clinic is now asking that the City formally commit the required funding to pay for the engineering costs and the upgrades required to the HVAC system.For the engineering plans, approval and the purchase and installation of the required HVAC system for the new NP clinic space in their existing building, an upset limit of $30,000 including tax has been estimated. The NP clinic is asking City Council to fund this cost to ensure the expansion can get started as soon as possible.
Management confirms that a $30,000 investment to bring primary health care to more than 2000 residents on a long term basis is well worth the investment and it is recommended that Council approve this unbudgeted expenditure as detailed in the proposed resolution.
March 3, 3023 – MPP Todd Smith announces $839,200 in new annualized funding starting in 2023-2024 to support hiring 2.6 nurse practitioners, 1.5 administrative positions, a registered nurse, and a social worker in addition to an increase of $209,800 in base funding
Part of an $8.1-million investment across Ontario in new annualized base funding to enhance access to primary care in key regions of the province, supporting 18 Family Health Teams, two Community Health Centres, and two Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics.
Belleville’s Health Recruitment Policy states that there is an excess amount of medical office space available in the City and that Belleville should not be competing with these private sector initiatives
A June 12, 2023 report on Belleville’s Health Recruitment Policy states:
There has been a lot of talk about possibly establishing a city funded clinic that could be used to attract physicians to the community. Several regions in the province are offering that incentive but staff are not prepared to recommend this course of action at this time. Currently there is an excess amount of medical office space available in the City – empty space that is available at a reasonable price, even several locations where support services like reception, billing and nursing support are also provided by the operators of the clinic.
Any physician looking for this kind of office and support can easily find it in Belleville and the City should not be competing with these private sector initiatives. An additional reason for not offering this incentive is the disadvantage it places on our existing physician base.
These are a group of physicians that are funding their own practices and paying the full cost of running their offices. It would be unfair and frankly prejudicial to offer this incentive to new grads in addition to offering the $150,000 scholarship. Instead, new grads can use the funding the City has provided to help offset the costs of office start up and equipment, if needed. Management is not recommending the City invest in the development of office space to accommodate new physicians at this time.
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