| The purpose of this project is to design, develop, implement, and evaluate a Nurse Practitioner (NP)-led primary healthcare clinic in northwestern Ontario. Thunder Bay is the largest community in northwestern Ontario with the health status of its residents lower than the rest of the province. A significant number of persons of northwestern Ontario are without a regular healthcare provider (North West Local Health Integration Network, 2006). This lack of an identified primary care provider puts a burden on the emergency departments and walk-in clinics particularly in regards to chronic illness care. Primary healthcare needs and chronic disease management (CDM) cannot be properly performed in the emergency department or walk- in clinic. This innovative evidenced-based initiative will help deliver primary healthcare services to the underserved residents of Thunder Bay. It is anticipated that the implementation of the NP-led clinic will help alleviate the impact of the shortage of healthcare providers and improve the overall health outcomes of the population being served. |
