A new health clinic will be opening its doors in Huntingdon this summer.
A partnership between the Clinique Repères, the town of Huntingdon, and the Montérégie West Community Network will see the expansion of services provided by the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield-based clinic to support vulnerable and marginalized populations within the Haut-Saint-Laurent region.
The clinic, which started two years ago in Valleyfield, offers confidential, accessible, and trust-based care to highly vulnerable individuals, including those who are unhoused, those with drug addictions, sex workers and individuals involved in criminal activities, as well as newcomers, immigrants, and refugees who may lack access to traditional healthcare services.
Dr. Fabienne Djandji and nurse Caroline Rancourt founded the non-profit organization that operates the clinic, which regularly sees about 150 patients in Valleyfield.
Djandji, who is a family physician and co-owner of the Huntingdon Medical Centre, explained that she and Rancourt work to stabilize their patients’ physical and mental health before reintegrating them into the regular healthcare system once they are stable and have rebuilt trust with the system.
The clinic is not for individuals who can access existing public healthcare services.
“The goal is to slowly see what the needs are,” said Djandji. “There are more and more vulnerable people in the region and homelessness is increasing in the Haut-Saint-Laurent. So, we are going to see how we can tackle this, health-wise,” she added.
Initially, the clinic will be open one day per week and will function largely by referral from community organizations. Djandji explained that patient confidentiality is guaranteed. Medical records are filed electronically and are kept separate from the public CLSC or hospital systems. Patients will be able to access the clinic discreetly and will not be required to present a Régie de l’Assurance Maladie du Québec (RAMQ) medicare card. Initial visits can also take place anonymously.
A healthy partnership
The clinic’s partnership with the MWCN will establish the Woolen Mills complex on Dalhousie Street in Huntingdon as a “proximity hub,” where individuals can access different services between the two organizations. The building also houses the CDC du Haut-Saint-Laurent as well as the Centre-Conseil en Emploi (CRESO), which offers help finding work and services for immigrants.
“We threw ideas around to see how we could make this work,” said Nadya Kovacs, an outreach and program coordinator with the MWCN. “Because we are also a non-profit, the budget is not enormous. We are also expanding,” she added. Together, they approached the town about funding the rental of additional space in the building.
“We noticed right away that there was a need for this kind of help,” said Huntingdon’s Mayor André Brunette, who explained that the town quickly agreed to subsidize a significant portion of the rent.
“This is one of a kind in the Haut-Saint-Laurent and it’s a big service,” Brunette said. “We don’t see mental health issues in town. We don’t see the homeless, or the drug overdoses. But obviously they are there and they need help,” he added. “It’s sort of a taboo for this area, but it is well known that it does exist.”
For Djandji, the partnership provides stability not only for the clinic, but for local community organizations who now have an additional resource offering help across the region. “A lot of the time they are our eyes in the community,” she said, noting local organizations often see the same people. “The organizations will now know where they can find us,” she added.
Djandji said she expects the clinic will open to patients by early July.