Niagara Health wants to thank Mayor Wayne Redekop for taking the time to discuss the future of the Fort Erie Urgent Care Centre (UCC) with our Board of Directors on Tuesday.
The Town’s presentation focused on ensuring Fort Erie residents retain access to services such as diagnostics imaging and primary care at the existing UCC site. We always appreciate the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue about Fort Erie's healthcare future.
“Yesterday's engagement demonstrates progress on solutions that will actually improve healthcare for Fort Erie residents. The future of healthcare in Fort Erie lies in building the new, state-of-the-art South Niagara Hospital and in strengthening primary care, which means timely access to a family doctor, nurse practitioner and their teams,” said Lynn Guerriero, President and CEO of Niagara Health. “Evidence shows team-based primary care is the most effective and comprehensive model for managing health.”
Currently, 33% of Fort Erie residents — nearly 12,000 people — do not have access to a family doctor. Strong primary care/access to a family doctor is the foundation of a healthy community, providing preventive care, chronic disease management and reducing the need for episodic treatment at walk-in clinics or Emergency Departments.
Niagara Health has participated in numerous discussions with Fort Erie leaders and remains dedicated to finding meaningful ways to support the community’s healthcare goals. Here are some of the steps Niagara Health has taken to support improved access to primary care in Fort Erie:
- Partnering with the Niagara Ontario Health Team - Équipe Santé Ontario Niagara to develop interdisciplinary care models.
- Supporting local physician recruitment efforts.
- Advocating for expanded diagnostic imaging services in Fort Erie.
- Collaborating with local physicians to design a new primary care model tailored to community needs.
When the South Niagara Hospital opens in 2028, Fort Erie residents will be just 25 minutes away from a state-of-the-art $3.6-billion facility offering top-tier emergency and acute care services. This is much closer than the current, nearest hospital.
“Our goal is to work collaboratively with the Town of Fort Erie to strengthen access to family physicians, nurse practitioners and team-based services to ensure a smooth transition for the community, prior to the new South Niagara Hospital opening,” Guerriero said. “We remain committed to open and transparent dialogue as we build a healthcare system that prioritizes access, quality and sustainability.”
To provide further context on our position and efforts, we have shared these letters from President and CEO Lynn Guerriero to Mayor Redekop on January 23, 2025 and January 29, 2025 on our website, which outlines our approach to supporting Fort Erie's healthcare needs and the transition ahead.
