After 40 years as a family doctor, Danielle Lachance was looking forward to retirement. As co-owner of Centre medical pour enfants Lasalle, her plan was to pass the torch onto her colleague and co-owner, Dr. Rachel Tessier, so the clinic could continue to serve patients. “I would retire and, say goodbye to my colleagues and see new people coming in and continuing,” she said. Instead, she’s having to break the news to patients that the clinic is going to close in the Spring. Tessier said the reason for the closure is Quebec’s new health-care law, known as Bill 2, which changes the way doctors are compensated. “The reimbursements that are proposed, especially for family medicine, is just not compatible with being able to continue to run this clinic,” she said. The clinic’s staff and overhead costs are not covered by the province, and without recruiting more doctors, Tessier said the clinic can’t function. The new law also requires them to see more patients. “We have a lot of toddlers, young kids, teenagers, none of which you can just barge into the room, do a quick interview, fast exam and leave,” she said. Another concern is that most children are considered non-vulnerable under the new law, and doctors will receive less funding for treating them. The clinic’s owners made a difficult decision not to renew their lease, and so their clinic will be closed at the end of May 2026. They are now breaking the news to the more than 5,000 patients who rely on the clinic “It’s hard for us with the young baby, and the uncertainty of her not having a physician is scary,” said mother Ercia Johnson, whose one-year-old daughter is a patient of Lachance. “Hopefully we’ll get a referral,” said father Rob Arzenshek, adding they don’t want to have to be put on a waiting list. Tessier said her future is not certain at this point. She is considering other options, such as working in another province. “I think come 2026, there will be many doctors who will be deciding whether or not, it’s viable to continue working here,” she said. Lachance said it’s not the way she wanted to end her long and fulfilling medical career. “I’m very sad, disappointed,” she said. Quebec’s Ministry of Health did not respond to CTV News Montreal’s request for comment.
