THUNDER BAY — The indefinite closure of the Umbrella Medical Clinic is raising concern that some patients will now be left out in the cold.
The operators of the independent, privately-owned facility on Algoma Street North announced the clinic's closure last week, and told clients: "At this time, we are uncertain if UMC will be re-opening, however we will provide an update on February 16, 2024."
Jason Veltri, president of Rainbow Collective of Thunder Bay, worries for people who face an uncertain future in terms of medical care.
"We know the Umbrella clinic and its staff fill a desperately-needed gap in our region for sexual health, for access to gender-affirming care, for female reproductive rights. We know that folks found Umbrella Clinic to be a safe and welcoming place," he said Tuesday.
The concerns Veltri is hearing echo the anxiety clients suffered after the unexpected accidental death of clinic founder Dr. Bella Zawada in 2021 resulted in its closure for about 10 months.
"It fills that gap for the 2SLGBT community, for women, for non-binary and gender-non-conforming individuals . . . And what Dr. Zawada worked very hard at was to try to destigmatize going and getting testing for sexual encounters. Knowing if you have a healthy body was her guiding principle. So this is her legacy that is a beacon in our community. We really hope that a solution can be found."
He acknowledged that some of the services Umbrella provides may be available elsewhere, but there is no other facility dedicated solely to providing sexual health services and gender-affirming care for people of all genders and orientations.
"The saddest part of all this is that we might lose a critically-needed piece of health infrastructure in our region."
Veltri said one of his big concerns is for those people "who are in their gender-confirming journey, who need medication renewals. Not every doctor knows how to prescribe those."
He said Rainbow Collective will work with individuals who reach out to the organization to help steer them to alternate sources of care as it did when Dr. Zawada passed away. He added that any new patients "are going to have to struggle to find access into a clinic. That's the tough part now."
Veltri said he's cautiously optimistic that the clinic's owners are working hard in the background to find a way to reopen the facility.
Last week a representative of Umbrella declined a request from TBnewswatch for an interview, saying updates will be issued in the coming weeks on the clinic's website and on social media.
