Dr. Jane Philpott leverages FLA OHT Health Home model

Driving universal access to primary care across Ontario

December 13, 2024. 

Dr. Jane Philpott is the newly appointed Chair of Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team, with a mandate to ensure that every Ontarian is connected to primary care within the next five years. “This is a strong step forward,” says Dr. Philpott, noting that Ontario has, for the first time, committed to a universal attachment plan for primary care. “The province has made its vision clear—this is an intentional mandate to get the job done.” She plans to accomplish this ambitious mandate by bringing a new geographic model of primary care to the forefront of provincial health planning. Her work with the Frontenac, Lennox, and Addington Ontario Health Team (FLA OHT) in developing this new model of care - originally called the the Periwinkle Model - has set the stage for what she envisions as a transformative solution to the challenges of primary care access across Ontario.

The Health Home model: A blueprint for change
In late 2021, Dr. Philpott and a group of FLA OHT partners came together to tackle the urgent issue of inadequate access to primary care within the region. “All sorts of people were working in disparate and disconnected ways,” she recalls. “So we decided to bring together all of the key partners to determine how we could actually improve the models of primary care that exist and build the ideal health home.” Recognizing the need for a cohesive, scalable solution, nine key partners—including Kingston Health Sciences Centre, Providence Care, Lennox and Addington County General Hospital, Queen’s University, Kingston Community Health Centres, the City of Kingston, KFL&A Public Health, and the Southeastern Ontario Academic Medical Organization (SEAMO) — collaborated to design the Periwinkle Model.

“We asked, ‘How can we take the best aspects of existing primary care models and build something that could be a way to add new capacity?’” explains Dr. Philpott. This question became the foundation for the Periwinkle Model, an innovative approach where primary care support is provided by a team of health-care professionals close to a person’s home. Inspired by the structure of Community Health Centres (CHCs), this new Health Home model adapts CHC principles—traditionally focused on marginalized populations—to serve general populations within specific geographic regions. Its core lies in interdisciplinary collaboration, where a team of health and social care providers work together to provide holistic support for each person’s unique health and wellness needs. 

Health Homes in action: The Midtown example
A glimpse of this model in action can be seen at the Midtown Kingston Health Home, where people within a defined geographic neighbourhood have access to a full spectrum of care close to their home, with the right provider addressing their specific needs.

Dr. Philpott underscores the pivotal role of the FLA OHT in advancing this model. “The FLA OHT is one of the leading OHTs in the province and has been incredibly proactive on the primary care front,” she shares. By bringing together key partners and aligning a shared vision, the FLA OHT has laid a strong foundation for helping the region achieve universal access to primary care. “They got out ahead of many of the other OHTs in terms of the vision of 100% attachment to primary care,” Dr. Philpott adds.

The Midtown Kingston Health Home example also serves as a microcosm of what’s possible on a provincial scale. “Essentially, it provides a mini template for what can happen across the whole province,” explains Dr. Philpott. As this model of care expands, it’s setting the stage for innovative change across Ontario’s primary care landscape.

Looking ahead: A new era for primary care in Ontario
Dr. Philpott’s vision for this transformation of primary care is both ambitious and inspiring. “When I imagine what this [100% attachment to primary care] will be like across the province, it’s a dream come true,” she says. “You’ll move to a new city and immediately be assigned a Health Home, just as children are assigned to public schools.” With strong political will, a clear plan, and proven local successes, Dr. Philpott believes Ontario is on the brink of transformative change. For Ontarians, this means a future where primary care is accessible, holistic, and community-centred—a future built on collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to better health outcomes.