New Family Health Teams On The Way

December 11, 2009 9:45 AM

McGuinty Government Improving Access To Health Care

Ontario is creating 19 new Family Health Teams across the province to provide better access to family health care.The new Family Health Teams will set up in areas of the province with high numbers of patients without family doctors. Family Health Teams provide better access to care closer to home and include physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers and dieticians. The teams also help reduce emergency department use by providing non emergency care.

The 19 new Family Health Teams are expected to be up and running by 2011/12. Ontario’s existing 150 teams have already enrolled more than 318,000 patients who did not have access to a family physician, and are providing care to more than two million people.

The province will establish 50 new Family Health Teams and 25 new Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics over the next three years.

QUICK FACTS

* Ontario recently announced eight additional Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics
* Over 1,260 allied health professionals have been hired to work at the existing 150 Family Health Teams
* Ontarians without a family health care provider can register with Health Care Connect, a program that helps people find a family health care provider in their community

LEARN MORE

* Family Health Teams
* Find out more about Family Health Teams
* Find out more about Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics
* Find a family health care provider near you through Health Care Connect.

CONTACTS

* David Jensen
Communications Branch
416-314-6197
Media[at]nullmoh.gov.on.ca

* Ivan Langrish
Minister’s Office
416-326-3986

* For public inquiries call ServiceOntario, INFOline
1-866-532-3161
null(Toll-free in Ontario only)

* Media Line
Toll-free: 1-888-414-4774
GTA: 416-314-6197
Media[at]nullmoh.gov.on.ca

Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
ontario.ca/health