Huntsville doesn’t have a dedicated psychiatrist — but the physician incentive program could be expanding to include one soon.
“I would like to look at incentivizing a psychiatrist to come to town,” Coun. Scott Morrison said. “I'm totally willing to bring that to the table for discussion.”
Right now, patients in Huntsville can access therapists, counsellors, and other mental health professionals. The Algonquin Family Health Team has two full-time adult mental health workers who provide in-person and virtual care for these patients which is covered by OHIP.
These options are for individuals with mild to moderate mental health issues. Those requiring acute care have fewer options.
Morrison said there used to be a psychiatrist who travelled from Midland to treat patients in town, but that doctor no longer does that, which has left a gap for residents seeking mental health services that are close to home.
“So, if you want a psychiatrist, especially for youth … You're going out of town, and that's not the most conducive to helping people with their mental health,” Morrison said.
The town of Huntsville oversees the physician incentive program, which is funded by the Municipal Accommodation Tax and supported through many community partnerships. Local doctor’s offices and healthcare organizations are also involved in this program.
Algonquin Family Health Team’s executive director, Janine van den Heuvel, works closely with town officials, frequently discussing ways to improve health care in Huntsville.
“I think that the physician incentive program could easily grow to include specialty care,” van den Heuvel said, echoing Morrison’s thoughts.
But right now, the Health Team’s efforts are directed toward more general health services to serve the broader community.
“We're focusing on primary care,” van den Heuvel said. "That's a priority."
Their partnership with local physicians and nurse practitioners is effective in treating people in Huntsville and surrounding areas, but accessing medical specialists often requires referrals to North Bay, Orillia, or Barrie.
“If there are barriers to transportation or issues with anxiety about being out in person, then virtual is actually preferable,” she said. “I still think it delivers a really high quality of care and it's reduced our no-shows down to almost zero.”
For anything reaching the more severe or acute range of mental health needs, physicians make a more appropriate referral — either directly to the Canadian Mental Health Association or an out-of-region psychiatrist.
Megan Hederson is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering Huntsville and Lake of Bays for MuskokaRegion.com. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.