Niverville Medical Clinic was started by Doctors Chris and Mairi Burnett in 2005 when they first moved to the community. In 2017, the clinic became Open Health Niverville and moved into its current location at 161 2nd Avenue South which is a collaborative hub with Southern Health-Santé Sud staff. In January 2020, the Burnetts approached the Town of Niverville for assistance as Dr. Mairi was facing serious illness, causing uncertain clinic sustainability.
The Town of Niverville hired an independent consultant, Kathy McPhail, the former CEO of the Southern Regional Health Authority. In her report, she recommended that the town follow a social enterprise model should they pursue ownership of the clinic. A social enterprise model would ensure that profits are reinvested into the organization. The town also sought out community opinion on whether government should step in to help the clinic, and the result was an overwhelming “yes”.
The Town of Niverville created a non-profit organization – Niverville Health Care Services Inc. – which took ownership of the Open Health Clinic on March 2, 2020. The Board of Directors, announced in January of 2021, will oversee the overall direction and long-term planning of the clinic. The Board is made up of a medical director, representatives from local government, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and a community member/member at large.
Niverville also hired a Business Manager who will be the liaison between the clinic and the town, also answering directly to the Board of Directors and the town’s CAO. The manager will be responsible for overseeing the clinic’s general operations with a patient-minded and financial accountability standpoint.
Dr. Mairi Burnett was away for approximately one year on a medical leave and was able to return to her practice on a part-time basis in November 2020. All the other current physicians continue practicing at the centre, and the clinic continues to pursue recruitment of new doctors to the area.
NHCSI Community Healthcare
Niverville Health Care Services Inc. (NHCSI) is the non-profit organization founded by the Town of Niverville that operates as Open Health Niverville. This organization is run by a board of directors who oversee the overall vision and future of the clinic. The board is made up of the following members:
-Medical representative of Open Health Niverville: Dr. Chris Burnett
-Two members of the Town of Niverville Council: Myron Dyck; Nathan Dueck
-Chamber of Commerce member: Scott Wallace
-Member at large/community resident: Dr. Ashley Britton
All of these members live in the Niverville community area.
During the first year of operation, the Town of Niverville provided grant money to NHCSI in order to ensure the sustainability of the clinic. Niverville will continue to look at ways to invest in the community in the future.
With the clinic now being operated as a social enterprise, this means that any profits will, in portion, be used to repay the grant money to the Town of Niverville, as well as be reinvested into the clinic itself. Reinvestment into the clinic means reviewing the needs for new medical equipment, software, furniture, and physician recruitment, among other needs.
As a non-profit organization focusing on the healthcare of the Niverville and Southern Manitoba areas, donations are graciously accepted to continue focusing efforts on practicing and improving healthcare in the region. Learn how you can donate to NHCSI.
Our Vision Statement:
Open Health strives to be a regional hub in providing timely and effective healthcare services and amenities to our users.
Our Mission Statement:
Open Health’s mission is to preserve and improve where possible the physical and mental health of the regional community, while continually advancing the medical amenities and services offered.