The government of Ontario has allocated $1,647,310 towards enhancing access to primary care teams in Oakville through Support House.
This is part of the province’s broader $110 million commitment aimed at linking up to 328,000 people with primary care teams, bringing the province one step closer to connecting everyone in Ontario to primary care.
Ontario leads the country with 90 per cent of its population connected to a regular health care provider. To further close the gap, the province is supporting the expansion of interprofessional primary care teams in Oakville.
“People who are unhoused with complex mental illness, substance use and other medical concerns are not well served by existing healthcare service delivery models," said Paul Gregory, Support House Executive Director.
"Our EPPiC [sic] funding will expand and enhance the unhoused population’s access to primary care through an integrated team of nurse practitioners, social workers, health promoters, peer supports, primary care physicians and psychiatrists. Improving access to primary care will help improve people’s health outcomes.”
Interprofessional primary care teams connect people with various healthcare 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 for 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.
"This investment in Oakville's primary care through Support House, under the leadership of Premier Ford and Minister Jones, reflects our commitment to ensuring every resident has access to the care they need," said Stephen Crawford, Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Oakville.
"This investment will significantly grow our primary care capacity in Oakville and serve nearly 3,980 residents in our community. I am proud and optimistic for our community as we advance towards connecting all Ontarians to quality primary care."
Effie J. Triantafilopoulos, MPP for Oakville North - Burlington, echoed this, saying, "Access to supportive housing is a serious need facing many communities across Ontario, and including in Oakville. Our government’s investment in primary care through Support House will significantly grow our primary care capacity in Oakville and ensure more people have access to quality primary care."
“Our government is making record investments to ensure that everyone that 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 hundreds of thousands of more Ontarians the opportunity to connect to primary care brings us that much closer to this goal.”
Aside from previous investments aimed at increasing medical school positions and efforts to break down barriers so highly skilled internationally-trained doctors can care for people in Ontario, Ministry of Health modelling shows that these initiatives will help connect up to 98 per cent of people in Ontario to primary care within the next several years.
Since the launch of Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care one year ago, the government has been making steady progress to ensure the healthcare system has become better equipped to respond to the needs of patients and provide them with the right care in the right place, ensuring faster access to services and access to an expanded health care workforce.