Weeneebayko General Hospital (WGH) is an acute care facility. The  hospital is operated by Weeneebayko Health Ahtuskaywin and serves the Mushkegowuk Territory which has a population of 12,000 living mainly along the western James and Hudson Bay coast.  There are seven communities: Moose Factory, Moosonee, Fort Albany, Kashechewan, Attawapiskat, Peawanuck and New Post.  The major health care facilities consist of a primary care clinic in Moosonee; two small hospitals at Fort Albany and Attawapiskat, each with in-patient beds for acute, paediatric and chronic care patients operated by James Bay General Hospital. Kashechewan and Peawanuck each have nursing stations operated by First Nations and Inuit Health. 

WGH is the most remote hospital in Ontario.  There is no road access.  There is a rail line from Cochrane to Moosonee and airfields in all communities except Moose Factory which is serviced by boat in the summer and helicopter during freeze-up and break-up. Winter roads connect all communities in the latter part of the winter except Peawanuck. 

Family physicians provide comprehensive care to the region.  This includes 24 hour emergency service located at Weeneebayko General Hospital; in-patient and obstetrical care at WGH; out patient clinics at the Family Medicine Clinic in Moose Factory and the Moosonee Health Centre and regular coastal community visits.  Home visits take place in all communities.  In addition to scheduled air travel to attend clinics along the coast, physicians are also required to attend patients during emergency medivacs in fixed and rotary wing aircraft.

Family physicians are involved in the training and teaching of family medicine residents and medical students from various medical schools throughout Canada.  All physicians take part in committees, rounds and hospital functions.

The current Ministry of Health and Long Term Care contract for primary care physician services provides for twelve FTE’s.   All family physicians must be equipped with current certifications in ACLS, PALS, ATLS, NRP and ALARM.  All family physicians provide full service family medicine including emergency medicine, obstetrics, in-patient, home visit and remote coastal visit services.

Recent technological services have enhanced the quality of patient care and include:  renal haemodialysis, digital mammography, a PACS system, retinal photographic screening, telemedicine, fetal fibronectic (fFN) testing and hopefully in the near future CT Scanning.

For more information, please refer to Programs & Services.