02/02/2025
Dear Valued Patient,
I am 65+years old and have been in practice for over 40 years.
The practice has grown and become more complex requiring 60+ hours per week.
I plan to retire within approximately 2-3 years and it has been a high priority of mine to make sure that every patient has a doctor when I retire, hopefully, within Island Family Health Care, with its fabulous staff, doctors and other health care workers.
The plan is to have three new family doctors join the practice over the next 2-3 years.
The first one is starting in Feb/25. His name is Dr Tony Valente. He went to the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and completed a residency in Family Medicine.
We will have to randomly select 800 of my patients for him to assume the role of their new family doctor. This is the only fair way to do this. If a person does not want him as their family doctor,
they are welcome to go onto the 811 list or to find another doctor or nurse practitioner on their own, but this is a good opportunity to have a permanent family doctor.
A letter or email will be sent to the 800 patients randomly selected to be looked after by Dr. Valente
If I do not do this, then in two- three years, everybody will have to go onto the 811 list or seek a new doctor or NP on their own to become their primary care provider, but this is difficult.
The plan is to have an additional two fully qualified family doctors join us over the next 2-3 years (approximately).
I will still be in the office to see patients, especially patients who have not been randomly selected for Dr Valente’s practice.
Dr Steven MacDougall
Send a message to learn more
