Ramara residents have a family medicine option close to home again after the official opening of the Ramara Medical Clinic in Brechin.
The clinic, located at 3242 Ramara Road 47, welcomed family physicians Dr. Anoushka Mohammadiankhorasani — known as Dr. Mo — and Dr. Mehdi Dadashi at a ribbon-cutting ceremony, according to a news release from Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital.
The release said the clinic brings in-person primary care back to Ramara, a significant step for residents who have historically had to travel outside the community to see a family doctor.
The project was a collaborative effort involving the Township of Ramara, the Couchiching Ontario Health Team (COHT), the Couchiching Primary Care Network, the Orillia & Lake Country Physician Recruitment Committee, the Couchiching Family Health Team (CFHT) and other local health-care partners.
Today is an important day for Ramara and one that has been years in the making,
"Having family physicians practising right here in our community means residents can access more of the care they need closer to home. We are incredibly pleased to welcome Dr. Mo and Dr. Dadashi and grateful to all of the partners whose commitment and collaboration helped make this possible," Mayor Basil Clarke said in the release.
Dr. Mohammadiankhorasani brings more than 12 years of experience practising medicine in Iran and Canada, with expertise in maternity and newborn care, adolescent health, seniors' care and mental health care. She also provides inpatient and emergency care at Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital (OSMH).
Dr. Dadashi has 20 years of clinical experience in family medicine and emergency care, including comprehensive primary care for all ages, chronic disease management, preventive care and urgent medical care. He will also provide services at OSMH.
Primary care is the foundation of a strong and connected health-care system, and the opening of this clinic is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when communities and health-care partners work toward a shared goal,
Those words came from Dr. Kim McIntosh, Primary Care Physician Lead for the COHT and Chief of Staff at OSMH, who said the addition of the two doctors gives residents greater opportunity to receive comprehensive, team-based care closer to home.
The clinic operates as part of the COHT Primary Care Network. Through the partnership, patients also gain access to allied health professionals and programs through the CFHT, located at 119 Memorial Avenue in Orillia.
It is an excellent example of how strategic investment and strong community partnerships can strengthen primary care, improve access and help ensure residents receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
That assessment came from Lynne Davies, CEO of the Couchiching Family Health Team, who noted patients can draw on the broader range of interprofessional programs and services offered in Orillia.
How to become a patient
The release said priority continues to be given to Ramara residents as part of the local physician recruitment initiative. Residents interested in becoming patients of either doctor should register with Health Care Connect, Ontario's centralized program for connecting people with primary care providers.
Residents already registered with Health Care Connect do not need to register again and should monitor their email for further information. Anyone whose contact information has changed should update it with Health Care Connect.
"Most importantly, it means more people will have an opportunity to establish a relationship with a primary care provider and receive care closer to home," COHT Executive Director Angela Munday said in the release.
