New ophthalmology clinic in Timmins to offer extended vision care to patients
A new ophthalmology clinic in Timmins has opened.
The clinic is a result of a team effort with many partners collaborating to make it happen. It's located in the medical office building next to the Timmins and District Hospital on Ross Avenue.
Dr. Alejandro Oliver pitched the idea to the hospital and its foundation – now several months later, a turnkey office is equipped with the staff and machines necessary to diagnose eye disorders and diseases.
One ophthalmologist from Ottawa has already offered to work there one week out of every month so she can also visit her new grandbaby at the same time who just so happens to live in Timmins.
“It’s real pathology that needs desperate care," said Dr. Marie Louise Lapointe.
"It’s not like in Ottawa where there’s a lot of ophthalmologists. So it’s (a) very interesting practice and a lot of...grateful patients," she said.
“Even if it’s a small procedure with a laser I can’t do it," said Oliver.
"So having Dr. Lapointe here is tremendous; all of our local referring doctors are extremely excited to offer this to their patients so it’s going to be a real game changer for the community."
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Dr. Doug Arnold is the chief of staff at the Timmins and District Hospital. He said an ophthalmologist would traditionally be responsible for purchasing all their own equipment – but with proceeds from the Timmins and District Hospital Foundation's 50/50 draw in December to pay for equipment along with additional funding from the province for renovations and other expenses, the new initiative will help many people get the care they need closer to home.
“It would be fantastic if we ended up with a full-time ophthalmologist to provide care, but that’s probably not still meeting the needs of Timmins,” said Arnold.
“So we need to continue looking at ways to expand … this is a great first step."
Dr. Lapointe and Dr. Oliver show some of the equipment purchased for the state-of-the-art ophthalmology locum clinic opened in Timmins. (Lydia Chubak/CTV News Northern Ontario)Now, officials said the search is on for someone who can perform cataract surgery
“Patients that require cataract surgery require extremely precise measurements – we bought that equipment for future surgeries," said Oliver.
"All that is here and ready for those who’d like to visit us.”
Arnold said this is the first time the hospital has created a locum clinic like this and it'll consider the concept to expand other areas of patient care in similar fashions in the future.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries 'Roots,' has died. He was 87.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Luxury cruise line selling world cruise suite for US$1.7 million
Luxury operator Regent Seven Seas Cruises is raising their price tag to eye-watering levels, with a suite on an upcoming 140-day world voyage costing US$1.7 million.
Why Kim Kardashian is being sued for 'knockoff' furniture
The estate of minimalist contemporary artist Donald Judd filed a lawsuit against Kardashian this week, claiming the fashion and beauty mogul promoted 'cheap knockoffs' of his furniture designs.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
A Filipino villager is nailed to a cross for the 35th time on Good Friday to pray for world peace
A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
King Charles will attend Easter Sunday service at Windsor
Buckingham Palace officials say King Charles III and Queen Camilla will attend an Easter service at the chapel at Windsor Castle on Sunday.