Increasing access for people without a primary care provider
April 5, 2024 News Release
The Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Ontario Health Team (FLA OHT) and its partners are working to provide care close to home. Up to 9,000 people who do not have a primary care provider (family doctor or nurse practitioner) will be attached to care teams close to home within the next six to 12 months.
A Health Home is a home base for easy access to all the health care and wellness services needed to achieve our best health. It is the front door to the health-care system, including a team of health-care professionals dedicated to supporting someone’s best health and wellness through every stage of their lives.
“One of the most pressing strategic priorities is to ensure that everyone in our region has access to a primary care provider, so they receive necessary care promptly,” says Dr. Kim Morrison, Executive Lead of the FLA OHT. “In the coming months, three Health Homes will be attaching people to a primary care team within their local area offering care close to home. This significant announcement marks an exciting step in our efforts to collaborate with community partners and connect every individual who wishes to be part of a People-Centred Health Home.”
Three Health Homes are taking on up to 9,000 people
Three Health Homes are expanding and taking on people within their catchment areas only. People are eligible if they do not currently have a primary care provider, are registered with Health Care Connect and live within the geographical boundaries served by each Health Home. Proof of address on a government-issued ID will be required. Non-government ID, such as library cards, will not be accepted.
- East End Health Home starting in the summer of 2024 will roster unattached residents living in their geographical area without a primary care provider. A map of the geographic boundaries is available on the FLA OHT website. More information will be added when it becomes available.
- CDK Health Home starting in mid-April will roster another 2,650 people who do not have a primary care provider (including family members living at the same address) living in their geographical areas. Over 1,500 people have already been rostered since February 2024. More information about steps to register is available on the FLA OHT website and the CDK website including a map of the geographical boundaries.
- Greater Napanee Health Home starting in mid-April will roster approximately 5,000 people who live in Greater Napanee who do not have a primary care provider until everyone in their catchment area is attached. More information on the FLA OHT website.
These are steps in the right direction to help the estimated 30,000 residents, or 10 per cent of the FLA region, who do not have a primary care provider. Working with the government of Ontario, the FLA OHT is continuing to work on plans for other areas, stay tuned for future announcements.
Residents without a primary care provider are encouraged to register through Health Care Connect by phone at 1-800-445-1822 or online to join the wait list for a primary care provider.
Residents are being asked not to call the Health Homes to inquire about their rostering status. Please be patient as staff work hard to attach people to each Health Home. Residents eligible to become attached will be contacted by their new Health Home and/or by Health Care Connect with further information on accessing care.
The FLA OHT website provides clear steps for how to register through Health Care Connect to join the wait list for a primary care provider and answers common questions about the process. Visit the FLA OHT website to learn more.