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GHC's history is traced back to the early 1950s when concern to improve access to medical services and reduce the financial burden of receiving care was propelled by local residents.

In the early 1950s, Sault Ste. Marie was geographically isolated and health care accessibility was challenging, as Medicare wasn't established until the late 1960s.

Union groups led by the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) Locals 2251, 4509 and 5595 brought forward a plan to build and operate a health centre. Joining them, were the Canadian Union of Public Employees, and others supportive of the concept.

The task fell to a Sault Ste. Marie Steelworkers Committee of 10 individuals led by John Barker, who was the USWA International Staff Representative at the time.

Their tireless and dedicated efforts began in 1957 and it would take five, long years of hard work and fundraising to build the Group Health Centre.

A Strong Belief In A New Vision

Funds to plan, construct, equip and staff the Group Health Centre came from "voluntary" sponsor fees from the Centre's original patients as well as others supportive of the concept.

In 1960, 50 dedicated canvassers went door-to-door in Sault Ste. Marie through 20-below zero winter nights to canvass steelworkers and residents. It was their strong belief in a new vision of health care that kept them going. The 50 canvassers convinced 5,000 residents to give $135 each for a total of $675,000 to build the Group Health Centre. In today's currency, that's equivalent to millions of dollars!

A Partnership
Dr. Thompson A. Ferrier, was the founding medical director of the Algoma District Medical Group, an independent group of physicians who joined the Centre.
GHC has a community board responsible for the operation of the Sault Ste. Marie and District Group Health Association (GHA). The ADMG and GHA make up the Group Health Centre.
Physicians are partners and shareholders of the ADMG, an independent corporation that provides or arranges medical services in agreement with the Association.

GHC's First Day
It was the beginning of a new and bold direction for health care!
The door handles hadn't arrived yet but that didn't stop a ribbon cutting ceremony on Labour Day in 1963!
The Centre first opened its doors with 13 physicians and a staff of 30 to serve approximately 12,000 patients. (Sault Ste. Marie's population was 40,000 at that time.) Services offered included: optometry, obstetrics and gynaecology, x-ray, laboratory, pharmacy, physiotherapy, surgery and specialists on site.
The local daily newspaper, The Sault Star, heralded GHC as the "First on Continent." Media interest in the Centre would grow to include provincial and national coverage that continues to this present day!

New Ideas
GHC introduced many new and fresh ideas during the early 1960s. The Centre was designed to feature natural lighting wherever possible with an abundance of wood and greenery to emphasize a warm atmosphere.
A centralized appointment service phone number was introduced to patients who could conveniently call one telephone number and make an appointment with any of the physicians or service providers. Later, this service would become computerized. Also, "colour-coded" sections were designed throughout the building to assist patients in finding their way.
 
Dr. Ferrier and John Barker
Dr. Ferrier, considered a pioneer in community-based medicine in Canada, helped make health care available to the community years before universal Medicare was introduced. The Group Health Centre is his legacy.
John Barker was instrumental in the key planning and implementation of the Centre. His energy and vision were the driving force behind making the idea of a union sponsored, "community health care facility" a reality.
The memory of these founding fathers live on today with the establishment of the Group Health Centre Endowment Scholarship Fund, established for the purpose of assisting with the university education of eligible women and men.

Our Principles
The principles of the GHC, introduced in 1963, remain the same today:
~ group medical practice,
~ consumer sponsorship,
~ prepayment of medical insurance.

Today
GHC has grown significantly to meet the health care needs of Sault Ste. Marie and the Algoma District and has become Ontario's largest and longest-established membership-based health care organization.
There are over 60 physicians and associates of the ADMG and a support staff of over 300 providing services for over 60,000 patients - over three quarters of Sault Ste. Marie's 80,000 residents.
With the continued growth of evidence-based medicine, the introduction of new services, the collaboration with local health care agencies on various projects and programs, and the GHC's electronic medical record, attention is drawn to the Centre and creates an air of excitement.

Our Vision
Group Health Centre's vision is to provide leadership and achieve excellence in health care and wellness promotion in an atmosphere of caring and respect for the individual.
Warm, personal care, a philosophy established over four decades ago, remains timeless at the Group Health Centre!

More About History
"First and Foremost in Community Health Centre" was written by Jonathan Lomas and documents the development of the Group Health Centre.
"First and Foremost" was published by the University of Toronto Press in 1985.