Kingston clinic again inviting patients desperate for doctors to get in line

A clinic in Kingston, Ont., that's seen hundreds of people line up for hours just for a shot at securing a family doctor says the seemingly "barbaric" approach is efficient, but isn't the only way it's connecting patients with primary care.

CDK Family Medicine and Walk-In Clinic is holding another patient "rostering" day Saturday starting at 8:30 a.m.

A similar event in late February saw people camp out overnight and an hours-long lineup stretch along the sidewalk outside its location at 105 Sutherland Dr.

This time, lead physician Ziny Yen said staff will hand out numbers to the first 100 people in line. Everyone else can go home.

Those fortunate residents who get a number will be added to the clinic's roster throughout the day, along with their immediate family members, for an estimated total of 300 new patients.

Yen said the new patients must live within the clinic's geographic region, and said staff will be checking IDs to make sure.

CDK provided a map showing an area bordered by Sir John A. Macdonald Boulevard to the west, the Cataraqui River to the east, Highway 401 to the north and Lake Ontario to the south.

CDK Family Medicine and Walk-In Clinic provided this map showing the geographic area from which it will be accepting 100 new patients and their family members during a rostering day on April 13, 2024. (CDK Family Medicine and Walk-In Clinic)

Those geographic criteria come at the request of Ontario Health, according to the doctor.

"The idea being every region of concern will have a health home where unattached patients can go to a clinic," she explained.

Kingston has long suffered a shortage of family doctors, with an estimated 30,000 residents lacking primary care. The city has set aside millions to attract physicians, including offering a $100,000 signing bonus.

CDK has managed to bring in some new doctors and has so far signed up 1,580 patients toward its target of 4,150, according to the clinic's website.

Patients waiting years for referral

Meanwhile, thousands of local patients have been languishing on the province's Health Care Connect list. It's meant to link people with care, but many residents report waiting years without being referred.

One of the criticisms of CDK's approach is that it allows people to jump the queue, so long as they're willing and able to spend hours waiting on the sidewalk.

Yen said the clinic has been using Health Care Connect at "maximum capacity" all along, but described the system as "archaic."

Dr. Ziny Yen says the clinic is adding as many patients as it can through the province's wait list, but it's a slow process. (Ziny Yen)

She said there are only five "care connectors" serving the community and, while they work very hard, they must contact patients directly in order to get their consent to release information to the clinic.

In a statement to CBC, Hannah Jensen, a spokesperson for Ontario's Minister of Health, stressed that Health Care Connect is a voluntary program that relies on providers accepting new patients.

Asked about the long waits, she provided statistics from 2022 saying more than 44,000 Ontarians were connected to primary care through the program, with an average wait time of 90 days.

The ministry did not directly respond to a question asking how many care connectors are serving Kingston, but said it's working to streamline the process to make it faster and easier, with changes expected soon.

In comparison, Yen said rostering days provide another way to quickly sign up a large batch of patients who might not have a computer or struggle to navigate the provincial system. Elderly patients have been especially appreciative, she noted.

Situation speaks to desperation

Still, Yen said she recognizes the "first come, first served" approach can appear "kind of barbaric."

"The desperation that they would stand in line for five, six hours, sometimes in bad weather ... really speaks to the the crisis that we're in," she said.

While no one is being forced stand in line, Yen said staff are aware of the criticism surrounding rostering days, leaving them feeling "discouraged" and questioning whether the events are worth it.

"After this one ... I don't see holding more than one or two more, at most," she said.

Despite the difficulty, Yen said patients who don't manage to sign up with CDK shouldn't despair, pointing to more than $4 million in funding from the province for a new Kingston health site.

An announcement from the Ministry of Health in February said the money will help up to 10,000 people connect with team-based primary care.

That would cover nearly one-third of unattached patients in Kingston, said Yen.

"There's hope," she added.