Healthcare professionals from across Canada and the world have made St. Thomas-Elgin home. We have world-class facilities, a strong commitment to delivering services locally, and a talented health recruitment expert that can help you find the right place to start your practice. Healthcare in our region benefits from the coordination of the Elgin Ontario Health Team. Some of our local facilities include:

St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital

St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital is a 150+ bed facility providing comprehensive 24-hour coverage in Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics, Pediatrics, Anesthesia, Emergency, Family Medicine, and more. More than 800 professionals work at STEGH, including over 200 credentialed professional staff members. Important hospital distinctions include:

• A recent $16 million dollar expansion to strengthen emergency, mental health and addictions, surgery, and medical device repair services,
• Gold or Platinum Level Quality Healthcare Workplace Awards between 2010-2013 from the Ontario Hospital Association and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care,
• Consistently lower wait times for emergency services, surgeries, MRIs, and CT scans compared to provincial averages,
• One of four designated Stroke Centres in southwestern Ontario, providing coordinated care to patients and families in St. Thomas-Elgin, and
• Participation as a community hospital training centre in the Southwestern Ontario Medical Education Network for residents in OB/Gyn, Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine, Surgery, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Hospitalists, Anesthesiology, and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Southwestern Public Health

The staff of Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) provide programs and services to a mixed urban and rural region with the common goal of building a healthy community. SWPH employs a variety of public health and administrative professionals dedicated to the overall goal of promoting and supporting the health of the people who live, work and play in St. Thomas, Elgin County, and Oxford County, including doctors, nurses, health promoters, dieticians, dental hygienists, and healthcare managers.

Featured programs at SWPH include:

• Immunization clinics for children and adults
• Extensive prenatal, pregnancy and postnatal assistance for local families
• Smoking Cessation programs
• Sexual health services, including family planning, testing and resources
• Preventative dental clinics and dental education in the community

Community Health Centres

Community health centres provide primary care services, health promotion, and illness prevention services in a coordinated manner. They have a strong community development focus that addresses social, economic and environmental problems negatively impacting people’s health. The two community health centres in St. Thomas-Elgin are:

• Central Community Health Centre, which provides services to St. Thomas, Central Elgin and Southwold, and
• West Elgin Community Health Centre, which provides services to West Elgin and Dutton/Dunwich.

Staffing can include family doctors, nurse practitioners, Registered Practical Nurses, diabetes educators, social workers, mental health therapists, chiropodists, dietitians, health promoters, personal support workers, and community outreach workers.

Services offered at our community health centres include:

• Primary health care via family physicians and allied health professionals
• Mobile teams providing wellness programs, social work services, and clinics to smaller communities
• LQBTQ health resources
• Diabetes education and management services
• Mental health support

Family Health Teams

Family health teams provide residents with coordinated access to multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals, including family doctors, nurse practitioners, Registered Practical Nurses, chiropodists, chiropractors, occupational therapists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, dieticians, respiratory therapists, and social workers. Two family health teams are located in St. Thomas-Elgin:

• Thames Valley Family Health Team
• East Elgin Family Health Team

Additionally, the Four Counties Family Health Team, located in Glencoe, serves residents in West Elgin. 

Our family health teams offer:

• Primary healthcare services
• Chronic pain and disease management
• Smoking cessation assistance
• Hypertension prevention
• Mental health supports and services

Private Healthcare Clinics

There are numerous private clinics and service providers throughout St. Thomas-Elgin that provide primary and specialty care to our residents. Private clinics still take OHIP, but they are not run by non-profit organizations in the way that Community Health Centres or Family Health Teams are. For up-to-date listings, browse the Southwest Healthline directory.

Contact our Expert

Uzo Ajogwu is a health recruiter for St. Thomas-Elgin and can help you understand your employment options based on your medical profession and specialty. Contact Uzo directly at ESTmedrecruit@stthomas.ca

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