MEDICAL CLINIC HAS 'NOTHING TO HIDE': COOWNER

Peggi Degroote Dispels Rumour She's Opening a Methadone
Centre

A private pain management and dependency clinic is slated to open its
doors this fall in Aldershot and will offer methadone as one element
of its treatment options.

However, well-known local businesswoman Peggi DeGroote, co-owner and
executive director of Wellbeings, said it is not a methadone clinic.

A recent letter written by the owner of a neighbouring business has
been circulating, DeGroote said, and is putting a negative spin on the
clinic she hopes will only do good for the community when it begins
operation in late October at 444 Plains Rd. E.

DeGroote spoke to the Post Wednesday afternoon to discuss her business
and dispel rumours about the new clinic, which will be located west of
Maplehurst Public School.

She said there's misinformation in the community about her pain
management clinic, which she said will be unique to the area. It will
address myofascial pain, the longtime volunteer said.

"I don't want that type of negative stigma," DeGroote said of the
circulating letter, noting Wellbeings is not a walk-in clinic and will
require patients to make appointments.

"The clinic we will be offering will be a state-of-the-art medical
clinic, a best practices clinic."

It will include doctors, a pharmacist, counselling and other services.
The hours of operation are still to be decided and there's so far a
list of six candidates willing to work at the clinic, she said.

The clinic has "nothing to hide", DeGroote said. She is trying to fill
a community need when it comes to chronic pain issues and chemical
dependency.

The vast majority - 98 to 99 per cent - of clients accessing services
would be people dependent on prescription drugs like OxyContin or
Percocet, DeGroote said.

Methadone is one of the treatment options and would be decided between
the doctor and the patient, she said. The doctor, she said, would bill
OHIP for services rendered like any general practitioner does.

"The people who will be coming to this clinic are mothers and fathers,
sons and daughters, aunts and uncles and brothers and sisters," she
said.

DeGroote explained there will be a pharmacist on site to dispense
medications, including methadone. The physician can ensure the patient
prescribed medication takes it in front of the pharmacist.

She also said the pharmacist has the ability to require the patient
taking any medication to stay in the building to make sure he or she
is physically well to leave.

There will be a "code of conduct contract" patients must adhere to and
"should they violate that, they will not be serviced," DeGroote said.

A two-page letter recently distributed to some neighbours and
businesses-signed by Dr. Kiara Galbreath of Integrative Touch
Incorporated on Plains Road East - alleges DeGroote will be opening a
methadone clinic.

"Unfortunately, there is nothing in place to stop a methadone clinic
to be set up in a community such as ours," the letter said.
"Businesses and schools will be impacted by this."

Galbreath's business website states she is "trained as a medical
doctor and as a specialist in internal medicine", and that her
business offers treatments such as acupuncture and cold laser therapy
to treat everything from acute and chronic pain to addictions to drugs
and cigarettes.

In an interview with the Post, Galbreath denied her letter may have
been sparked by competitive envy. "Absolutely not," she said.

Galbreath said her business does not administer methadone and instead
uses all natural treatments.

"I'm not against Peggi DeGroote," she said. "I'm very concerned about
the fact there is a clinic that is going to be dispensing methadone -
there is no question about that."

Galbreath said she "admires" what DeGroote is attempting to do but is
concerned there was a lack of public consultation about the clinic
opening and the location being close to a school.

Galbreath said she understands a neighbourhood meeting might be held
to talk about the issue and she would attend. She also said she was to
meet with Burlington MPP Joyce Savoline yesterday (Thursday) to
discuss the issue with her.

Health Canada's website states methadone works by alleviating the
symptoms of opioid withdrawal and "when appropriately prescribed and
dispensed, methadone is considered a medically-safe
medication."

The Office of Controlled Substances, Health Canada, permits physicians
to prescribe methadone.

According to a Halton Regionbacked Methadone Maintenance Treatment
Community Working Group report from September 2008: "When MMT is used
appropriately, it can be a lifesaving treatment."

The report further stated there are 450-900 potential methadone
patients within Halton.

Also, citing program records from the College of Physicians and
Surgeons of Ontario, Halton currently has 281 residents who are
registered with MMT programs outside of the region.

Halton Medical Officer of Health Bob Nosal said the pain management
clinic's opening is not specifically a public health issue.

DeGroote insists her clinic will be a respectable business and
something of which the community can be proud.

"I want the right information out there. We are going to operate a
safe business," DeGroote said, preferring to call her clinic "pain
eradication".

"We will be a big supporter of other community agencies."

At a cost of "hundreds of thousands of dollars," the clinic will be
upgrading and leasing a building that has been empty for the last 19
months and has become a "bit of an eyesore," DeGroote said.

Bruce Krushelnicki, the city's director of planning confirmed the
construction of the business on the Plains Road East property is
following zoning bylaws that allow for office uses, which includes
medical use.

Halton police Sgt. Brian Carr said police were recently made aware of
the clinic by the Aldershot Business Improvement Area, but were not
notified by the clinic operators. Since the clinic is a "private
venture", Carr said police do not have to be notified of its opening
but would try to establish a relationship with the operators.

"...we'll attempt to establish a positive working relationship with
them," Carr said.

Councillor Rick Craven, whose ward includes the clinic property, said
residents are overreacting to the opening of what he has been told by
DeGroote is a pain management clinic that would offer methadone
treatment options.

Residents have told him they are worried the clinic will be "dominated
by drug addicts," he said, characterizing the letter as "fear mongering."

Craven said he feels "comfortable" with the clinic services to be
provided and is "trying to reassure folks" that it will be a
"high-quality" business.

"If there are any problems, we'll deal with them but I'm not
anticipating any problems," Craven said, adding he's received eight
e-mails and four phone calls about the clinic. "The more (medical)
services we have the better."

Halton District School Board trustee Mary Dilly said she wants a
better understanding of the clinic's operations because of its close
proximity to Maplehurst P. S. The clinic is located just west of the
school, on the south side of Plains Road.

Dilly said she doesn't want to deny a person's access to medical
assistance but believes the clinic's location is troublesome. She is
concerned people might hang outside the clinic and sell drugs, and
students might see that.

"Why does it have to be right across the street, near a public
school?"

Dilly thinks there should be a meeting to include DeGroote and
provincial health officials so the public can ask questions to find
out how this kind of clinic will operate.

DeGroote confirmed the community would be notified when the clinic
will open, and that residents will be invited to make an appointment
to discuss with her how the clinic functions so that she can answer
any questions they have.

She said the location is high profile, being on Plains Road. She will
be ensuring the appearance of the property adheres to the Plains Road
Village Vision, which aims to beautify the streetscape and area.

"I would like this (clinic) launch to be open and forthright," she
said. "We are here as a community support (and) a community benefit."