$878,300 investment brings the province one step closer to connecting everyone in Ontario to primary care by 2029
FORT FRANCES — The Ontario government is taking the next steps to deliver its Primary Care Action Plan, which is on track to connect everyone in the province to a family doctor or primary care provider by 2029.
As part of this plan to connect everyone in Ontario to a publicly funded family doctor or primary care team, the Ontario government is investing $878,300 this year to connect up to 2,389 people to primary care in Fort Frances.
“Through this investment, we celebrate the work taking place on the ground, which is entirely consistent with the trajectory of healthcare in our region,” said Member of Provincial Parliament Greg Rickford. “It takes good people, strong leaders and continued partnerships to ensure that our healthcare systems here in Fort Frances are responsive and serve our community.”
The Fort Frances Family Health Team provides expanded access to primary healthcare through a suite of inter-professional providers and will establish a process to accept new patients and will communicate this to their local community.
The Fort Frances Family Health Team was funded through the latest call for proposals under the Primary Care Action Plan, with all 124 teams receiving funding expected to connect another 500,000 patients to primary care across Ontario. Each team has established a plan to attach a high proportion of unattached people in their community, including those on the Health Care Connect waitlist.
Through the 2026 Budget, the province is also increasing overall funding for the plan to a total of $3.4 billion between 2025 and 2029.
“The Fort Frances Family Health Team is thrilled to receive this expansion funding through Ontario Health, and we acknowledge the Ministry of Health’s ongoing commitment to strengthening primary care. We are grateful to the Honourable Greg Rickford for joining us in announcing this important investment and for their support in highlighting the needs of our community.
This investment represents an important step toward improving access to care in our community and building a more connected, sustainable system. We know that continued commitment to growth and improvement will be essential to achieving meaningful, long-term impact for the individuals we serve.
Through our strong collaboration with the Fort Frances Physicians Group, the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario, and our partnership with the Rainy River District Ontario Health Team, we remain dedicated to expanding access to care and supporting more individuals in establishing lasting relationships with a primary care provider, ultimately improving health outcomes across our district.”
– Tara Tolley, Executive Director, Fort Frances Family Health Team
The province has also exceeded its 2025-2026 attachment goal under the Primary Care Action Plan, which was to connect 300,000 patients to a primary care provider by March 31, 2026. As of January 1, 2026, the province has already attached 330,000 people to care in 2025-2026, surpassing its goal by more than 30,000 with three months still to go.
“Through our Primary Care Action Plan, we are connecting more people to care and have already exceeded our 2025-26 attachment target,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By connecting more families to care in Fort Frances our government is taking the next step toward connecting everyone in the province to primary care by 2029.”
Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government continues to take bold and decisive action to grow the province’s highly skilled health-care workforce and ensure people and their families have access to high-quality care, closer to home, for generations to come.
QUICK FACTS
• Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team is drawing on best-in-class models of care to implement its action plan, supported by the government’s investment of more than $3.4 billion to connect approximately two million more people to primary care by 2029, which will achieve the government’s goal of connecting everyone in the province to primary care.
• The government is making significant progress on its goal of clearing the Health Care Connect waitlist as of January 1, 2025. That waitlist has been reduced by more than 87 per cent as the plan continues to hit its targets and deliver faster access to high-quality care.
• Ontarians looking to find a family doctor or nurse practitioner can register with Health Care Connect or call 811.
• Interprofessional primary care teams connect people to a range of health professionals that work together under one roof, including family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, registered practical nurses, physician assistants, physiotherapists, social workers, dieticians and pharmacists, helping patients to receive more connected and convenient care.
• Since 2018, Ontario has added nearly 20,000 additional physicians to its health-care workforce, including an over 14 per cent increase in family doctors.
QUOTES
“The Fort Frances Family Health Team Board of Directors is proud to recognize the exceptional work and unwavering dedication of our team in advancing the provincial objective of connecting individuals with primary care services. Their commitment and collaborative efforts have been instrumental in building and strengthening the relationships necessary to move this important work forward. The resulting positive impact on the everyday lives of individuals and families in our communities underscores the value and importance of this work.”
-Wendy Brunetta, Board Chair, Fort Frances Family Health Team
“AFHTO welcomes this expansion funding for the Fort Frances Family Health Team. This investment reflects the fantastic work they do together to provide high quality interprofessional primary care to patients across the community. AFHTO thanks the Ministry of Health and the Government of Ontario for their ongoing commitment to strengthening primary care in Northwestern Ontario.”
– Jess Rogers, Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO)