Need A Doc? St. Joe's and partners launch campaign to help people find a doctor
We’re fortunate to live in a city with such a wide array of medical services and medical specialties. Unfortunately, some of these services are underused, while others struggle to keep up with demand. Our hospital emergency departments (EDs) are a prime example. For many people, EDs can function as a primary location to access medical expertise, but our data tells us that a significant proportion of the people seen in the ED could be cared for by their family physician or at an urgent care centre.
This month, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton Health Sciences, the City of Hamilton and McMaster Family Health Team are excited to launch a public awareness campaign designed to help people assess and access the physician-based medical care in our city. The campaign addresses a common concern we hear from our patients: That they’re looking for a doctor’s help, but they’re not always sure where to turn.
The centerpiece of this campaign is a new website, NeedADoc.ca, which is designed to assist individuals looking to find information about the available medical care options, based on their health concerns.
In the coming days and weeks, you’ll likely see the “Need A Doc” campaign material around our community. We encourage you to engage and help spread the word.
We know this isn’t the solution to all of the challenges our health system faces, but it’s one strategy we think can be used to help our community navigate and access the right medical care, in the right place at the right time. We hope to build on this approach as we go, and welcome your feedback and ideas on how we can enhance our efforts.