Ontario Connecting 7,350 More People to Primary Care in Glengarry-Prescott-Russell
$2,861,900 investment brings the province one step closer to connecting everyone in Ontario to primary
care by 2029
NEWS April 20, 2026
Bourget, ON — 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, nurse practionner or primary care team, the Ontario government is investing more than $2,8M this year to connect up to 7,350 people to primary care in Prescott-Russell.
“Access to a family doctor or primary care team makes a real difference in people’s everyday lives. In
Glengarry–Prescott–Russell, this investment means more residents will be able to get the care they need,
closer to home and when they need it. I want to sincerely thank all the organizations involved in this
project for their vision and hard work. This progress would not be possible without their dedication to our
communities.” said Stéphane Sarrazin, MPP for Glengarry–Prescott–Russell.
The Centre de santé communautaire de l’Estrie (CSCE) is the lead partner in this initiative, working in
collaboration with the Archipel Ontario Health Team, the Clarence-Rockland Family Health Team Inc (CR
FHT), the Plantagenet Family Health Team Inc (PFHT) and Community Paramedics. While the Centre de
santé communautaire de l’Estrie will receive the primary allocation of funding, the Clarence-Rockland
Family Health Team Inc. and the Plantagenet Family Health Team Inc. will also receive funding to support
their participation. In addition, dedicated funding will support a community paramedic position from the
United Counties of Prescott and Russell. Together, partners will provide interprofessional primary care
services to residents in the region and will establish a process together for accepting new patients and
will communicate this information to the local community.
As part of the ongoing expansion of Interprofessional Primary Care Teams (IPCTs), system partners are
working collaboratively to implement this important initiative in support of the health and well-being of our communities. During this transition period, residents are asked to use Health Care Connect rather than contacting or visiting clinics to request attachment to a primary care provider.
Priority will be given to addressing the Health Care Connect waitlist, which partners are committed to
reducing. Individuals who do not currently have access to a primary care provider are encouraged to
register with Health Care Connect to support timely access to services.
The involved organisations 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.
“This funding from Ontario Health for the expansion of primary care not only allows us to improve access
to primary care services in Prescott and Russell, but also to better meet the needs of Francophone
communities by strengthening the presence of physicians and nurse practitioners able to provide services
in their language.” said Lyne Martineau, Executive Director at Centre de santé communautaire de l’Estrie.
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 Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, 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.
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Noémie Prevost
Office of MPP Stéphane Sarrazin
Office Manager and Communications Coordinator
noemie.prevost@pc.ola.org
613-677-8347