CHESTER - Several months ago Shoreham Village's health resources centre underwent an expansion to make room for a nurse practitioner.

 Now the senior's community is hoping to expand once more, this time to make room for a doctor.

 "It's difficult for the nurse practitioner and the doctor because they work under separate roofs," said Bob St. Laurent, chairman of Shoreham's board of directors.

 "And right now there's simply not enough room for a doctor to move into the health resources centre."

 Nurse practitioner Nancy MacDonald began seeing patients in January of this year. When she came across a patient out of her scope, she referred them across the village to Dr. Karen Cox.

 The hope is to expand the centre into the beginnings of a community health complex, a five-to-10-year plan.

 "We have to create a situation by which it's attractive for doctors to come here," Mr. St. Laurent said. "This is the right thing to do."

 The request was made to municipal council to help fund the expansion, like it helped fund the previous one for the nurse practitioner.

 To that end $58,539.88 was requested, which was the lowest tendered bid returned to the people at Shoreham.

 Another offered option was for a 10-year, interest-free loan.

 "If we lend you money we still have to go out and find it," said Warden Allen Webber. "This just buys you time."

advertisement

 Council referred the request to the committee level for future discussion.

 Requests for federal funding have been declined.

 Fundraising was also ruled out because it would take too long.

 Although the wheels have already begun turning, the expansion is far from a certainty even if municipal council were to grant the money.

 Lara Parsons, Shoreham's director of development, said other things have to fall into place beforehand.

 "There would be no building unless we can secure a long-term lease agreement with a doctor," she said. "We can't do this and have a doctor leave after one year. We need to have a doctor who is going to stay here for 10 years."

 To that point, she added Dr. Cox would only be sought to relocate if another physician could be recruited to fill her spot at her current clinic.

 Ms Parsons added a new physician is close to joining the current ranks in Chester, but due to the competitive nature of recruitment, she said she couldn't elaborate.

posted on 11/17/09