Dr. Max Pang, third family doctor to join the GNHH
The Greater Napanee Health Home (GNHH), which launched in April through a partnership between Kingston Community Health Centres (KCHC) and the Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Ontario Health Team (FLA OHT), has already improved health care access for the community. Over 500 residents now have primary care providers, and three new family doctors have joined the team, including Dr. Max Pang.
Dr. Pang, joining GNHH after Dr. Candy in February and Dr. Giancarlo Pukas in July, is excited to be part of the team. He graduated from the University of British Columbia with degrees in medicine and pharmacology, completed his residency in Prince George, B.C., and previously worked at Lennox and Addington County General Hospital.
“My positive interactions with patients and the health care team in Napanee convinced me to return,” says Dr. Pang. “I’m super excited to work in the new Greater Napanee Health Home, where everyone will have access to a family doctor and health-care providers are supported in a team environment. I look forward to learning more about the Napanee community, which has already been so welcoming.”
The GNHH leads a partnership with KCHC, Family Doctors Group, the Town of Greater Napanee, and LACGH to provide team-based care. This model supports physicians and nurse practitioners with various health professionals, enabling them to fully meet community needs.
GNHH is part of FLA OHT’s mission to connect people without primary care providers to a Health Home, offering easy access to essential health services. Just like schools, everyone should have access to team-based primary care in their community.
“Our goal is to attach every person in Greater Napanee to a family doctor or nurse practitioner close to home,” says Dr. Kim Morrison, FLA OHT Executive Lead. “Through partnership and collaboration, we are creating a model that not only meets community needs for accessible care but also supports health-care providers in an environment where teamwork is essential.”
“Lennox and Addington County General Hospital is excited to partner in this innovative and aspirational initiative,” says Mike Bell, CEO of LACGH. “Acknowledging that access to a primary care provider is the foundation of an effective health-care system, we applaud the leadership and look forward to supporting this vision for years to come.”
About 5,000 of Greater Napanee’s 16,000 residents don’t have a family doctor. The GNHH aims to provide everyone with full medical care. For those without a family doctor or nurse practitioner, the Health Home also runs an Access Clinic for urgent, non-emergency health issues, helping to take pressure off local emergency rooms. For more information visit the KCHC website. To book an appointment at the Access Clinic (for people with an urgent health issue who live in Greater Napanee and do not have a primary care provider) book here.
The Town of Greater Napanee currently contributes over $300,000 annually to support the GNHH operations. “We at the Town of Greater Napanee are ecstatic about yet another physician joining the health care team in our community,” added Terry Richardson, Mayor, Town of Greater Napanee. “The aggressive approach to primary health care this Council has taken, along with an exemplary relationship with our health-care partners, has provided a model for success many communities should strive for. We feel the goal of providing Primary Health Care to each of our residents is well within our grasp.”
Residents who don’t have a primary care provider are encouraged to register with Health Care Connect by calling 1-800-445-1822 or going online. The FLA OHT website offers easy-to-follow steps for signing up with Health Care Connect, joining the waitlist for a primary care provider, and answers common questions about the process. Visit the FLA OHT website to learn more.
Written by Emily Chatwood
