Westmount loses 'super clinic' after medical centre goes bankrupt

Dr. Yvan Philippe Fortin has been working at a medical clinic in Westmount, an on-island suburb of Montreal, since 2011 with the aim of bringing the facility into the modern, digital age.

And as his effort progressed, he was able to eventually build the place up to "super clinic" status right in Westmount Square near the corner of Greene Avenue and Ste-Catherine Street.

But that all came crashing down last month, and the super clinic, known in French as a Groupe de médecine de famille (GMF), was closed.

Now Fortin is picking up the pieces, continuing to provide what medical services he can to the community.

Back in April 2016, the Quebec government announced its plan to build super clinics across the province, providing a range of services to the community — especially those who don't have a family clinic. Since then, 28 were promised, 11 of which were slated for the Montreal area.

Quebec Public Health's promotional material on the Westmount clinic promised a minimum of 20,000 consultations per year, as well as sampling and imaging services in collaboration with nearby facilities.

Westmount Square Health Group (WSHG) was made a super clinic in 2018. Supported by the provincial government, it was up and running, with at least a dozen doctors offering services ranging from general surgery to ophthalmology.

Then the pandemic hit. The clinic moved to remote care, providing online consultations to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Doctors retire, move to private care

Meanwhile, Fortin said, older doctors began retiring and younger doctors moved to the private sector. With fewer doctors, the clinic served fewer patients and could not meet the standards set for a "super clinic" — a term coined by the past Liberal government.

"We were not able to meet the criteria set out by the government," Fortin said.

Fortin was medical director until he resigned in 2019, though he maintained a leadership role.

The parent company operating the clinic filed for bankruptcy in March, claiming $3,068,575 in debt, and one dollar in assets. The super clinic was shuttered last month.

WSHG president Luc Provost said every option was explored, including reorganizing services and reducing the clinic's size, but with fewer doctors on staff, there was no way to keep it running.

"We weren't able to get investors to get the money for the landlord," said Provost, and being unable to pay rent led to the decision to file for bankruptcy.

Struggle to notify patients

Filing for bankruptcy came with its own problems, Provost noted, such as the phone lines and servers being cut off, making it hard to communicate the closing to patients.

Provost told CBC News it was then up to doctors to warn patients of the closure.

"That put us in a situation where we had to scramble," Fortin said. "Obviously it was a shock to everybody. We didn't expect it after putting 12 years into building a super clinic."

So medical staff alerted their patients and went in various directions while Fortin stayed put — working to keep the community clinic alive by opening a clinic of his own in the very same space. He isn't giving up on his goal of serving the local community, he said.

"My goal was to create a super clinic for the community of Westmount, so I have that in mind also, through maybe a different perspective of what I want to do," said Fortin.

Meanwhile, patients are still showing up at what used to be the super clinic, expecting care.

Arlene Lapointe, a former patient, said the closure was dragged out over time.

"It seemed mysterious, more and more, every time we came we weren't able to go in," Lapointe said. "Leave your name, call back in a week. Slowly it slowed down until there is absolutely nothing now."

Made aware of the issue, Provost said the company will contact the local health authority.

When asked about the closure, CIUSSS du Centre-Ouest-de-l'Ile-de-Montréal spokesperson Barry Morgan confirmed the clinic lost its GMF status on April 1. He directed further inquiries to Fortin.

A spokesperson for Westmount's mayor said the closure was a private decision out of the city's control.