By Chad Ingram
Published Nov. 24 2016
The Dorset health hub – named the Janet and Jamie Caskey Health Hub – is requesting $10000 from Algonquin Highlands township for 2017.
Open for the past year the health hub has 250 registered patients and has received about 2000 visits.
Along with the services of a nurse practitioner it offers mental health services and other programming such as looking at the social determinants of health.
“We’re close to equal patients from Muskoka and Haliburton” Colin Reaney a board member of the Dorset Community Partnership Fund told Algonquin Highlands councillors during a Nov. 17 meeting adding that the hub has patients as far away as Minden.
The hamlet of Dorset sits partially in the District of Muskoka in Lake of Bays township and partially in Haliburton County in Algonquin Highlands township.
The hub relies on a various funding sources including from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and grant applications.
Reeve Carol Moffatt said Algonquin Highlands council needs to be better informed on activities at the health hub if the township was going to be expected to help fund it on an ongoing basis.
The township gave $20000 to the hub for 2016. Council has not yet begun budget discussions for 2017.