Access to Primary Care Working Group achievements in 2023

The Access to Primary Care Working Group is dedicated to increasing access to team-based care and breaking down barriers to timely, equitable care for everyone in Frontenac, Lennox and Addington counties.

"Our working group has made significant achievements over the last year. We continue to push forward on integration and collaboration to ensure everyone, including children, youth, seniors, people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and newcomers have timely access to the care they need," says Dr. Elaine Ma, family doctor and Chair of the Access to Primary Care Working Group. 

Throughout 2023, the group has made several advancements in four main areas and throughout 2024, the group will continue focusing on these main areas.

• Access to primary care for pregnant women - The objective is to link every pregnant woman to prenatal and ongoing primary care. Through the collaborative efforts of many primary care providers throughout KFLA, over 340 women and their newborns have been and will remain connected to a primary care provider. This initiative was spearheaded by Dr. Rupa Patel. Her unwavering commitment to a regional model of access to care for this population is making an impact in our region. Dr. Patel continues to lead the coordination and client intake for this project.
• Access to care for newborns - The Well Baby Care Clinic was launched through a collaborative partnership between Kingston Community Health Centres (KCHC), Queen’s School of Nursing and the Department of Pediatrics and KFLA Public Health to provide health and wellness care to infants without a primary care provider. Since May 2023, the nurse-practitioner-run clinic has served over 114 unattached newborns for a total of 194 well baby visits. This is in addition to the immunization appointments offered in tandem by KFLA Public Health nurses.
• Mobile primary care access – PORCH, an innovative service delivery model coordinated by KCHC, enables primary care providers and health and community service agencies the ability to provide mobile services at various locations of their choosing throughout KFL&A. The aim is to bring services closer to those who face barriers to accessing care. In 2023, across all its locations and service partners, there were nearly 800 service interactions.
• Access to care for people struggling with substance use and vulnerable housing - The Integrated Care Hub (ICH), is a collaborative program model addressing the health and basic needs of individuals dealing with substance use and who are vulnerably housed. Multiple partners provide health and wellness services at the site including KFLA Addictions and Mental Health, Trellis, and Home Base Housing. Street Health Centre provides primary care, addiction support/treatment and practical assistance daily to those at the ICH. From April to December, they provided 317 clinical care encounters at the ICH. They also provide a shuttle service bringing clients to Street Health Centre for those who require more follow-up care.