The FLA OHT is working to make sure that every single person in the region has access to a primary care team close to where they live. We are doing this by establishing a framework of care called the ‘People-Centred Health Home.’
Learn about the Health Homes across the FLA region.
Understanding Health Homes
A Health Home is your front door to the health-care system. It’s where you are connected to a primary care team near your home, along with a network of other health professionals who support your unique health and wellness needs at every stage of life.
Needing a new framework for care
Right now, many people in our region:
- Do not have a primary care provider
- Cannot access care quickly or easily
- Receive disconnected care from various providers
Benefits of a Health Home
- A primary care team for everyone
- Shorter wait times
- The right care at the right time
- Help managing your health, preventing problems early
- Fewer emergency room visits
- Care close to where you live
- More support to stay healthy from a team that works together
- Better communication among providers means better care for you
The Health Home team
Each Health Home is unique, so the team of providers work together within them can be different:
- Family doctors or nurse practitioners
- Nurses and care coordinators
- Interdisciplinary health professionals
- Mental health providers and social workers
- Community health and support workers
- Traditional healers or other providers depending on your needs
Health Home services
Each Health Home is designed to meet the needs of the community it serves, with services such as:
- routine check-ups
- chronic disease management
- mental health and addictions support
- social work and care coordination
- help accessing community supports.
Health Homes have 3 key features:
Care focused on your individual needs (person-centred)
- Respectful of your values, preferences and unique needs
- Holistic - supporting your physical, emotional, mental, social, cultural, and spiritual wellbeing
Care by a team of health professionals (team-based care)
- A coordinated team works together to provide your care
- You’re not reliant on a family physician for all your care
Care close to your home (in your neighbourhood)
- Located in your community
- Easier to access to help you stay on top of your health
Primary care practices acquire the key features of the Health Home framework over time.
The roadmap illustrates how the adoption of the 3 key features and the 7 principles leads to a practice becoming a fully mature Health Home.
Learn about the FLA OHT Health Home Framework
Primary Care Guide to Health Homes
This guide for primary care practices explains the Health Home Framework - from key features and principles to benefits and reaching maturity. (March 2025, 12 pages)
Roadmap to Health Homes
Take a deep dive into the our approach to building Health Homes, including the Primary Care Network governance and enablers, and supporting documentation. (March 2025, 32 pages)
Co-Designing the Future Vision of Health Homes in the FLA OHT Region
This report by HHF provides more context on the process undertaken building the Health Home Framework. (June 2024, 35 pages)
More about Health Homes (scroll < >)
Dr. Jane Philpott leverages FLA OHT Health Home model
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.
Inside Midtown Kingston Health Home
December 2, 2024. Dr. Eileen Nicolle is family physician at the Midtown Kingston Health Home. Dr. Nicolle shares her reflections on her first month on the job with insights for the community into what it’s like for both providers and people rostered to the Health Home.
Partner Spotlight: Queen’s Family Health Team
October 17, 2024. Partner QFHT plays a key role in delivering high-quality, team-based, people-centered care to the Frontenac, Lennox and Addington community. Their team manager speaks about their multidisciplinary approach, commitment, collaboration, academic focus and wide range of services.
Partner Spotlight: CDK Family Medicine and Walk-In Clinic
August 14, 2024. Since May 2024, the CDK clinics have collectively connected 3,420 individuals to primary care providers, expanded services, and recruited new staff, in part through their transformation into an FLA OHT People-Centred Health Home.
Team-based care at KCHC: A collaborative approach
August 12, 2024. Unlike traditional care models that often rely on a single provider, team-based care emphasizes collaboration among diverse health and wellness providers to deliver comprehensive care.
In conversation with the Indigenous IIPCT
August 17, 2023. The Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Team (IIPCT) houses a unique format that combines both traditional and westernized modalities to increase and balance the overall wellness of Indigenous People within our catchment area.
A new framework for primary care
In this video, our Minister of Health and local health care leaders speak about the FLA OHT framework for care at the the Midtown Kingston Health Home (formerly called Periwinkle).
Led by Dr. Jane Philpott, Ontario has launched an action plan in January 2025 to connect every person in Ontario to primary care by 2029.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Health Homes being developed?
Many people in our region don’t have a primary care provider—or they struggle to access timely or complete care. Health Homes are being developed to address these gaps. They increase access to primary care, help health professionals work together more effectively, and make it easier for people to get the care they need, close to home. Health Homes are a key part of building a better, more responsive health system for everyone.
What do Health Homes do for me?
Health Homes help you get the care you need more easily. They connect you to a team of providers who understand your health history and work together to support your full wellbeing. This means you don’t have to coordinate everything on your own — your care team makes sure you're getting the right support, at the right time, in a way that works for you.
How is this different from the health care I already have?
Health Homes help you get the care you need more easily. They connect you to a team of providers who understand your health history and work together to support your full wellbeing. This means you don’t have to coordinate everything on your own — your care team makes sure you're getting the right support, at the right time, in a way that works for you.
What can I expect if I’m part of a Health Home?
You can expect care that is equitable, holistic, and centred on your unique needs. Your Health Home team may include doctors or nurse practitioners, nurses, care coordinators, mental health professionals, and others, depending on your situation. They’ll work with you to understand your goals and help you stay healthy — not just treat you when you’re sick. Over time, you’ll build a trusted relationship with your care team that grows with you.
Will I have to leave my current doctor or nurse practitioner if a Health Home opens closer to where I live?
No. If you already have a primary care provider, you can continue seeing them as usual. In the future, you may be given the option to join a Health Home closer to where you live, but this will always be your choice.
What if I don’t have a doctor or nurse practitioner right now?
If you don’t currently have a primary care provider, you can register with Health Care Connect (HCC), a provincial program that helps match people to available providers in their area. Once registered, HCC will contact you when a spot becomes available at a Health Home in your neighbourhood. You can register by calling 1-800-445-1822 or visiting the website.
How long will I have to wait to be connected to a Health Home?
Wait times depend on where you live and how many people are currently waiting in your area. The FLA OHT is actively working with partners to expand Health Homes and increase the number of available care teams, so more people can be connected more quickly.
How is a Health Home different from a walk-in clinic?
Walk-in clinics offer one-time care without a long-term relationship or follow-up. A Health Home is designed to provide ongoing, coordinated care from a team that knows you and your health history. It’s a long-term approach focused on prevention, continuity, and better health outcomes.
What makes care “person-centred”?
Person-centred care means the team focuses on your unique needs, values, and preferences. It looks at you as a whole person—not just a medical condition—and supports your physical, emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual wellbeing. It’s care that listens to you, respects you, and includes you in decisions about your health.
How do Health Homes keep care close to where I live?
Health Homes are designed to connect you with a health care team in your local area. To do this, we divide the region into neighbourhood zones using maps, health data, and input from local partners. This helps make sure people are linked to a nearby doctor or nurse, so care is easier to access.
We also look at who already has a provider and who still needs one, and adjust the zones over time to keep things fair. By working with local organizations, we make sure each area has the right mix of services close to home.
Do Health Homes services cost anything?
No. Health Home services are part of Ontario’s publicly funded health-care system. As long as you have a valid Ontario Health Card (OHIP), your care is covered and there is no cost to access Health Home services.