Just over six months after opening, the Ottawa Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic has provided primary care to nearly 2,000 patients, with capacity for up to 6,000. The clinic, which opened last September on Montreal Road, serves the Vanier and Overbrook neighborhoods, areas with the highest proportion of residents lacking primary care in Ottawa.
A Model That Works
The clinic is one of 27 nurse practitioner-led clinics in Ontario, funded by the health ministry. Executive Director Hoda Mankal, a nurse practitioner, said the model is effective. The clinic is open to anyone living in postal codes K1L and K1K, covering Vanier and Overbrook, where need is greatest. It is not a walk-in clinic, and all services are covered by OHIP.
Overwhelming Demand
Some patients began signing up before the clinic officially opened. At its peak, the clinic registered one new patient every three minutes. People from as far as Perth tried to register, but the clinic focuses on local residents, some of whom had gone a decade or more without primary care. As of 2024, approximately 14,000 local residents were without a family doctor.
The clinic has cleared the province's Health Care Connect waiting list for local residents and registered over 100 newborns from Montfort Hospital who were born without primary care, along with their siblings and parents. Children from Vanier and Overbrook who arrive at CHEO without a family doctor are also taken on.
Grateful Tears
Many new patients express relief and disbelief. One pregnant woman thought the clinic's offer was a scam and burst into tears when assured it was real and free. Another single mother living in temporary housing with her daughter was in hypertensive crisis; clinic staff helped her across the street, examined her, and provided prescriptions, attaching both to primary care the same day.
Mankal hopes to expand the clinic's footprint in the future but is currently focused on serving Vanier and Overbrook, where material deprivation rates are highest. The clinic is also building connections with social agencies and health organizations in the area.
