$8.4 million local investment brings the province one step closer to connecting everyone in Ontario to primary care by 2029
Table of Contents
Content
MARKHAM — 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 more than $8.4 million this year to connect up to 23,000 people to primary care in Markham and Stouffville.
Our government continues to take bold and decisive action to grow the province’s highly skilled health-care workforce and ensure people have access to high-quality care close to home,” said Paul Calandra, MPP for Markham-Stouffville. “This investment will support the Health for All Family Health Team as it continues to provide vital care and services to residents across our region. This is part of our plan to strengthen Ontario’s health care system.”
Health For All Family Health Team is an interprofessional primary care clinic that provides a range of primary care services including acute, chronic and preventative health care. Their physicians and other health professionals have diverse areas of expertise including palliative care, geriatrics, home visits, low risk obstetrics, and global health.
Carefirst Family Health Team is a multidisciplinary primary care team based in southern York Region (Markham, Stouffville and Richmond Hill) and the city of Toronto that provides coordinated community-based health care through physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, dieticians, physiotherapists, pharmacists, occupational therapists, and medical receptionists. As a community-sponsored family health team affiliated with Carefirst Seniors and Community Services Association, Carefirst is uniquely positioned to integrate primary care with home and community support services, senior care, and local health partners – advancing a neighbourhood health home model that brings more connected, culturally responsive care closer to where people live.
“Our government is making it easier for more residents in our community to connect with a family doctor and primary care team closer to home,” said Billy Pang, MPP for Markham-Unionville. “This investment will help reduce wait times, improve access to care, and ensure more families can get the quality healthcare they need, when they need it.”
Health For All Family Health Team and Carefirst Family Health Team will all establish a process to accept new patients and will communicate this to their local community.
Health For All Family Health Team and Carefirst Family Health Team were 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 province has also exceeded its 2025-2026 attachment goal of 300,000 patients under the Primary Care Action Plan, connecting 345,000 to a primary care provider by March 31, 2026.
“Through our Primary Care Action Plan, we are connecting more people to care and have exceeded our 2025-26 attachment target,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By connecting more families to care in Markham and Stouffville, 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.
QUOTES
“This significant investment is an important step toward strengthening our primary care system and ensuring thousands of residents in Richmond Hill have better access to the health services they need. By supporting local primary care teams, we are building a more connected and responsive health care system for our growing community. I am grateful for our government’s investment, which will help our hardworking primary care teams to continue providing timely, convenient care,” said Richmond Hill MPP, Daisy Wai.
“I’m pleased to see this $8.4 million investment coming directly into our local community. Through support for CareFirst Family Health Team and Health for All Family Health Team, more residents in Markham-Thornhill will gain access to timely, high-quality primary care. This is an important step our government is taking to help ensure families in our community can connect to the care they need, close to home,” said Logan Kanapathi, MPP for Markham–Thornhill.
“We are thrilled to announce new funding that will expand team-based primary care in our region, connecting thousands of unattached patients with a family doctor or nurse practitioner. This investment means more families will have a dedicated care team they can count on — right here in their community.” Said Zadran ‘Zabi’ Nassery, Executive Director Health for All, Academic Family Health Team.
“We are grateful to the Ontario government for its provincial strategy and investment in expanding access to team-based primary care, especially for Ontarians who are currently unattached to a primary care provider. Carefirst Family Health Team is honoured to receive expansion funding to provide Integrated Primary Care Team (IPCT) services in Markham, Stouffville and surrounding neighbourhoods, helping to bridge local service gaps. Through partnerships with Oak Valley Health, York University, Ontario Health Teams and local partners, Carefirst will establish new IPCT clinics to improve timely access to integrated, interprofessional primary care closer to home. This expansion builds on Carefirst’s community-based expertise in serving diverse and equity-deserving communities, while supporting the development of valuable community-based teaching clinics with York University to help train future physicians and strengthen Ontario’s primary care workforce for years to come,” said Helen Leung, Chief Executive Officer, Carefirst Family Health Team
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 clearing the Health Care Connect waitlist as it stood on January 1, 2025. That waitlist has been reduced by more than 99 per cent as the plan continues to 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.
MPP CONTACT INFO
Office of the Hon. Paul Calandra, MPP
Office of Billy Pang, MPP
Office of Logan Kanapathi, MPP
Office of Daisy Wai, MPP