$14 million investment to primary care teams in Toronto
July 16, 2024
Global Korean Post
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The Ontario government is investing over $14 million to connect up to 49,000 people to primary care teams in Toronto. This is part of Ontario’s $110 million investment to connect up to 328,000 people to primary care providers, bringing the province one step closer to connecting everyone in Ontario to primary care.
“Our government is making record investments to ensure everyone who wants to have a primary care provider can connect to one,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “While there is more work to do, giving tens of thousands of more people across Toronto the opportunity to connect to primary care brings us that much closer to this goal.”
Ontario leads the country with 90 per cent of people connected to a regular health care provider. As a next step to close the gap for those not connected to primary care in Toronto, the province is supporting 11 new and expanded interprofessional primary care teams. Together, these initiatives will connect up to 49,000 Ontarians with primary care teams and provide services.
In Toronto’s downtown core:
- new mobile medical bus will work with community health centre sites and an existing Family Health Team to conveniently connect more people to care and better integrate and coordinate care
- a new community health centre will break down barriers to care for high-need under-serviced populations by connecting them to primary care and clinical supports such as mental health and addictions services
- an innovative model of mobile care connected to a new health care centre will expand culturally safe and appropriate Indigenous-led primary care programs and services
- a collaborative house call program to serve seniors in the community with comprehensive and ongoing primary care, as well as chronic and acute disease management, medication administration, in-home assessments, ongoing case management, and system navigation
In North Toronto:
- community health centres will leverage multiple mobile teams in high-need under-serviced communities that need it most to help break down barriers to care including, primary care and social and community supports
In Toronto’s West end:
- new primary care providers and expanded services will deliver more connected and convenient care to people with complex health care needs
- a community health centre site will connect people to interprofessional health care professionals and social and community supports, including pharmacy care and virtual mental health and addictions supports
- expanded access to Indigenous-led primary care, that incorporates both traditional healing and culture-based services alongside contemporary interdisciplinary primary care
In Toronto’s East end:
- a community health centre and interprofessional team will expand and add new mobile and satellite locations to make primary care more accessible to youth, seniors, Black individuals and families and patients with complex chronic diseases
Interprofessional primary care teams connect people to a range of health professionals who work together under one roof, including doctors, nurse practitioners, registered and practical nurses, physiotherapists, social workers and dietitians, among others. Timely access to primary care helps people stay healthier longer with faster diagnosis and treatment, as well as more consistent support managing their day-to-day health while relieving pressures on emergency departments and walk-in clinics.
The record investment of $110 million includes $90 million to add over 400 new primary care providers and 78 new and expanded interprofessional primary care teams across the province. In addition to other historic investments to expand medical school spots and efforts to break down barriers so highly-skilled internationally-trained doctors can care for people in Ontario, Ministry of Health modelling shows these initiatives will help connect up to 98 per cent of people in Ontario to primary care in the next several years. An additional $20 million will provide a boost to all existing interprofessional primary care teams to help them meet increased operational costs for their facilities and supplies so they can continue to provide high-quality care.
