Petawawa’s family health centre welcomes three businesses to expanded facility

By Patricia Leboeuf | October 31, 2019 | Local
The Petawawa Centennial Family Health Centre (PCFHC) has expanded to include space for permanent businesses LifeLabs, Mulvihill Drug Mart and Ottawa Valley Physiotherapy. They were officially welcomed with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 25. Petawawa Mayor Bob Sweet cut the ribbon surrounded by the PCFHC staff, the business owners and their staff, as well as Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MP Cheryl Gallant, PCFHC Executive Director Judy Hill, and PCFHC Board of Directors President Tom Mohns. (Photo by Patricia Leboeuf)

Petawawa Centennial Family Health Centre (PCFHC) has undergone a facility expansion to better serve its patients.

Though the number of doctors and nurses has remained the same, the PCFHC team officially welcomed three businesses on Sept. 25: LifeLabs, Mulvihill Drug Mart and Ottawa Valley Physiotherapy. Now patients won’t have to leave the building for bloodwork, prescriptions or physiotherapy treatments.

“This expansion is an enhancement to the Petawawa Centennial Family Health Centre’s long term vision to become the heart of healthcare in Petawawa by working with the community to build a better health system,” said Tom Mohns, president of the PCFHC board of directors.

The growth of the PCFHC’s operations necessitated this expansion and will allow for the introduction and expansion of health programing to support area residents.

By offering these businesses directly in the PCFHC building, clients’ needs will be better met by creating a one-stop-shop for most healthcare needs, confirmed Mohns.

In 2004, two of Petawawa’s three family doctors stopped practicing, leaving one doctor at the limit of his patient load to meet residents’ medical needs.

“Even though healthcare is a provincial responsibility, we didn’t stick our heads in the ground,” said Petawawa Mayor Bob Sweet. “We decided we needed to do something.”

The town successfully applied for grants then set to creating its health team, building the centre and recruiting doctors.

In July 2005 the PCHFC opened its doors, and by November 2006, it had provided care for more than 3,700 people during more than 6,200 patient visits.

It was named in honour of Garrison Petawawa’s 100th anniversary and has continuously pushed for better healthcare services for its clients.

Over the years, the PCFHC has grown to serve about 8,100 patients, supported by 32 healthcare professionals including doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, a dietitian, a pharmacist, and a health educator. They also partner with many other health specialists like physiotherapists, varicose vein specialists, phlebotomists and more.

It is actively recruiting additional doctors for those who don’t have a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

“We need that to support the growing number of people coming to our community,” said Sweet.