Baladodiffusion #12 : Access to Healthcare – Quality French Language Services

Jeanine Proulx is the planning and community engagement agent with the French Language Health Services Network of Eastern Ontario. She has been I this role for the last 10 years. Her work mainly consists of supporting providers who are working to obtain their status as a designated organization under the French Language Services Act in order to guarantee a permanent offer of quality health services in French to the francophone population. Arriving in Kingston in 1991, she is well acquainted with the nonprofit sector as well as the Francophone community of the region.

Sophie was born, raised, and studied medicine in Sherbooke, the capital of the Cantons-de-l’Est in Quebec. She then completed her residency in family medicine and began practicing with the GMF (Groupe de Médecins de Famille) in Cookshire, dans le Haut-Saint-François in 2010. Her early career was very fulfilling and filled with projects in a tightly knit family environment. In 2015, she joined he UMF-GMF of the Jacques-Cartier Clinic, a return to Sherbrook and another experience she adored, practicing in larger groups and teaching. During her first seven years of practice, Sophie also shared her clinical time with the short term stay unit in general medicine at Hotel-Dieu hospital in Sherbrook. In 2016, Sophie, her partner, and their first child visited Kingston for the first time. It was love at first sight that they decided to move after the birth of their second child in 2017.

Sophie’s practice in Kingston began in February 2018 at the Maple Family Health Team where she actively cares for a diverse clientele worthy of family medicine.

For Sophie, Kingston represents a city of perfect size, comparing itself a lot to Sherbrook, to which she will always feel at home. Enjoying its rich history and culture, beautiful touristy and outdoor activities, magnificent lake landscapes, multiple parks and municipal trails within ingeniously developed neighbourhoods, a bilingual environment, as well as an excellent education system including a reputed university campus has made Kingston the ideal place for her growing family.