Dr. Ken White to close Kensington practice, send 1,375 to registry — Cbc Pei

cbc pei reports Dr. Ken White will close his Kensington practice on July 3, ending his work at the Kensington Health Centre after practicing there since March 2020. His 1,375 patients will be able to join the patient registry and receive virtual care through Maple.

White's July 3 departure

Health P.E.I. said there is no physician set to take on that patient load as of May 20. That leaves the patients moving into the registry rather than into another local family practice, at least for now.

White is a family doctor at the Kensington Health Centre. Health P.E.I. said he is pursuing further opportunities off-Island, where he will be close to family, and thanked him for his contributions to the Island health care system.

MacKay raises the issue

Matt MacKay raised the issue in the legislature on May 20, saying there had been rumours going around for a while that the town was going to lose a key piece of local health care. He said, "In a small area like ours, news like that travels fast and it creates a lot of genuine worry for families who have relied on him for years," and added, "They’re not looking for gossip, they’re looking for the facts so they can start planning for their own health-care future."

The timing left patients with a short planning window. Cory Deagle confirmed the departure on May 20 and said notice would go to patients that week.

Health P.E.I. response

Deagle said, "Certainly, we don’t want to lose any doctors, of course," and added, "But that’s a decision they made. They have asked for privacy with this decision, Mr. Speaker, and we’ll respect that." Health P.E.I. also said, "Dr. White has requested privacy during this transition for him and his family."

For Kensington patients, the practical path now runs through the registry and Maple until another physician is identified. White began practicing in Kensington in March 2020, and his departure removes one local family doctor from a small community that had already been hearing rumours before the formal notice.