He wants to be the Jean Coutu group of private clinics

Photo le Journal de Québec, JEAN-FRANCOIS DESGAGNES
Dr. Marc Lacroix has seven private clinics in Quebec city, Laval and Montreal, and wants to extend its network throughout Quebec to provide care under the same banner, as did Jean Coutu for pharmacies.

Hugo Duchaine

Wednesday, 31 January 2018 01:00

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Wednesday, 31 January 2018 01:00

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An owner of seven private clinics wants to become the Jean Coutu medical services fee, in taking advantage of the doctors ‘ interest more and more many to jettison the public system.

“I’ve never had as many calls [from doctors],” says Dr. Marc Lacroix, who is at the head of a network of 25 to 50 private clinics in several regions of Quebec within five years.

Medical Clinics Lacroix, which include five facilities in Quebec and one in Montreal, have recently purchased the clinic Future MD in Laval, which makes it, according to him, the doctor at the head of the largest number of private clinics in Quebec. A first step toward further acquisitions, ” said Marc Lacroix, who is also targeting the eastern Townships, Saguenay and the Outaouais region.

According to Marc Lacroix, more and more doctors are dissatisfied with the reform Bar, and turn to the private in the quest for professional autonomy. He recalled that the minister of Health has obliged physicians with 25 years of practice to be followed 1500 patients and to increase their attendance, and therefore to be more often available for patients.

Dr. Lacroix also explains that the doctors in their clinics are paid on time with a salary which he describes as “competitive” with the public system, where doctors are paid to act.

His team consists of 20 general practitioners, but also a dermatologist, an endocrinologist, a gynecologist, a surgeon and even a neurosurgeon.

$ 179 for 30 minutes

An initial consultation costs $ 179 and the patient is guaranteed to have 30 minutes in the doctor’s office.

“The basic ingredient that we need in family medicine it is the time, and the reform [of Gaétan Barrette] takes away the time to the doctors,” said Dr. Lacroix.

If he adds that in the early years the recruitment was more difficult, and its clinical today do not lack staffing and hiring constantly, ” he continues.

88 departures

Moreover, the most recent data published by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) seem to give him reason. They show that 88 doctors are désaffiliés of the public network from 2017, of which 38 general practitioners.

Even if some doctors leave the network temporarily and do it again a month or a week later, these departures are two times more numerous than in 2016 and in 2015.

These departures do not worry the minister of Health, Gaétan Barrette, because it judges that the number remains low.

“My preference goes to a public system,” he says, but there is nothing in canadian law prevents a doctor to leave.

If ever their number were to grow any further, the minister said that he could, for example, require that physicians in the private sector receive the same compensation that the public.

Departure of concern according to the FMOQ

The Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ) is concerned about the number of doctors who have left the public network in the last year.

“We are not surprised, because they had a climate [negative] of the many projects of the law, which threatened doctors with obligations and penalties, it has had an effect, it is certain,” said the president of the FMOQ, Louis Godin.

From 2017 to today there are 88 physicians who are désaffiliés of the RAMQ, of which 38 general practitioners. Dr. Godin maintains that the number of doctors in the public network, approximately 40 000 patients who may be taken care of.

“[The private sector], they don’t have to worry about the moods government, ” he continued, notably on the issues of the minimum number of patients and consultations that must be a doctor.

Insecurity

“The discussions around the act 20 [on the reform Bar] have created a sense of insecurity among the doctors “, he says.

Dr. Godin adds that there are also regions where the installation of new physicians is difficult because there are few posts granted, as in Quebec, in particular.

However, it does not share the view that the consultations in a grouping of family physicians are necessarily shorter than 30 minutes guarantees to the private sector.

He regrets especially that the doctors will be targets for all political parties.

“Unfortunately, it is known, the state of the public system is not at its best for a few years and this has undoubtedly led some physicians to choose the private “, complains about it by e-mail to the spokesperson of the Federation of medical specialists of Quebec, Nicole Pelletier.