Sumac Creek Health Centre: a cut above
By offering a new minor surgery clinic at the Sumac Creek Health Centre, Dr. Jory Simpson will provide surgical care to patients and surgical education to family practice residents. (Photo by Katie Cooper, Medical Media Centre)
By Jordyn Gibson
The Sumac Creek Health Centre opened in July and has already expanded its services for the community of Regent Park. A minor surgical procedures clinic, led by Dr. Jory Simpson, will bring a number of routine surgeries out of the hospital and into the community. Patients in need of minor surgeries— such as a biopsy to test for skin cancer or the removal of cysts or lipomas, a benign tumour of fatty tissue—often require a referral to a surgeon. These patients will either spend some time on a waiting list or will visit the Emergency Department for treatment if their situation worsens. “Offering minor surgical services in Regent Park caters to the needs of the neighborhood and may reduce some of the strain on the ED,” said Dr. Simpson. “Sumac Creek Health Centre even
has part of the St. Michael’s Laboratory Medicine Program and Medical Imaging Department on site so test results and imaging scans are only a few feet down the hall.” “I’ll be able to treat the lumps and bumps but I’ll also be able to provide education and training to the family health team,” says Dr. Simpson. “Surgical management is a recognized gap in residents’ family practice education.” Clinical staff at Sumac Creek is given an opportunity to learn more about preand post-operative procedures, wound care and pain management. Dr. Simpson will work with a nurse trained in minor surgery, who will be able to identify signs and symptoms of infections and assist during procedures.
an in-house surgeon and surgical nurse to bounce ideas off,” said Dr. Simpson. “It’s a very collaborative way to practise.” Dr. Simpson began running the clinic Sept. 28 but the surgical clinic had been incorporated in the planning and design stages of the Sumac Creek Health Centre. Room #13 at Sumac Creek Health Centre looks similar to the other 29 exam rooms in the clinic, but is outfitted with special surgical equipment such as a cautery machine to help close wounds and a special bed that ensures comfort and perfect positioning of the patient during procedures.
“Having this clinic embedded within Sumac Creek means the clinic staff have OCTOBER 2015 | IN TOUCH | 5