JASON PARKS

STAFF WRITER

A Prince Edward County business owner and entrepreneur is ensuring local infants and their mothers and mothers-to-be have a safe haven to meet with healthcare professionals amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prince Edward Family Health Team executive director Debbie Korzeniowski. (Submitted photo)

CJ Thompson, Founder & CEO Tenacity Capital, Canada’s top rural-based technology investment company, announced Friday he would be donating medical clinic space within his office headquarters in Picton.

The office space of Tenacity’s 35 Bridge Street PEC Innovation property in Picton will be transformed into a temporary Maternal and Infant Clinic that will be staffed by Prince Edward Family Health Team (PEFHT) nurses in a separate space isolated from the doctors who are working on the front line in hospital settings as the County continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The doctors of the County service all aspects of medical care including outpatient clinics, ER, inpatient care, long term care, and palliative care. This is a non-issue in normal times, However, in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, having doctors work in hospital settings as well as outpatient settings poses an exposure risk to patients.

“We want to thank CJ Thompson for donating the space for this purpose free of charge,” PEFHT Executive Director Debbie Korzeniowski said. “It is so heartening to have the support of local businesses in our efforts to care for all of our patients in a safe manner during this pandemic.”

Thompson is working with the PEFHT nurses to ensure the risk of COVID-19 exposure to the most vulnerable patients in the county is mitigated, and has donated his office space to create a temporary Maternal and Infant clinic that will be staffed by PEFHT nurses.

This clinic will help protect pregnant women, whose immune systems are weakened by pregnancy, and infants, whose immune systems are not yet fully developed. This will also ensure that their routine care needs are met during these uncertain times.

CJ Thompson. (Submitted Photo)

Since launching Tenacity four years ago, Thompson has been focused on making Prince Edward County a desirable destination for entrepreneurs, their businesses and families. Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, Thompson quickly realized that our community would be in need as the pandemic represented uncharted territory for local healthcare professionals. Thompson was contacted by Korzeniowski to see how he could play a part in relief efforts.

“I received the call while I was working from my home office. I looked over at my wife who was holding our four month old daughter and realized this clinic is absolutely essential to protect some of the most vulnerable in our community,” Thompson said. “During this time of uncertainty in all of our lives, the last thing mothers should have to think about is whether they’ll have access to essential pre and postnatal care. Our decision to donate this much needed safe space is a way to alleviate that concern for our community.”

The temporary Maternal & Infant Clinic is scheduled to open its doors the week of April 13th at 35 Bridge Street, Picton. Please contact the Prince Edward Family Health Team for more information.

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