Ontario Announces $235M Investment to Connect 300,000 More Residents to Primary Care
Flemingdon Health Centre among Toronto recipients expanding care access in underserved communities
Toronto, ON — The Ontario government is investing $235 million to launch over 130 new and expanded primary care teams across the province, aiming to connect more than 300,000 people to a family doctor or nurse practitioner this year. The funding is part of Ontario’s broader $2.1 billion Primary Care Action Plan.
The initiative prioritizes communities with the highest number of residents lacking access to primary care, such as those on the Health Care Connect waitlist. According to the province, this latest round of funding will increase access to comprehensive, team-based care where doctors, nurses, social workers, and pharmacists work collaboratively under one roof.
Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones made the announcement alongside Dr. Jane Philpott, Chair of Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team, at Flemingdon Health Centre in East Toronto. The centre will receive more than $4 million annually to expand its capacity through the East Toronto Health Partners Ontario Health Team—aiming to attach more than 9,600 patients, especially those with complex health needs.
“We are protecting Ontario’s health-care system and people’s access to convenient care by funding new and expanded primary care teams across the province,” said Minister Jones. “This is helping connect everyone in Ontario to a primary care provider.”
Today at Flemingdon Health Centre, I announced our government’s $235M investment to support over 130 new and expanded primary care teams that will connect 300,000 people to primary care this year – further protecting Ontario’s healthcare system.
🔗https://t.co/8XCaIEWpox pic.twitter.com/7Yh9plCrLS
— Sylvia Jones (@SylviaJonesMPP) June 23, 2025
Dr. Philpott emphasized the role of primary care teams in improving outcomes: “Through the government’s historic investments, we are making meaningful progress in expanding access to care—and this is just the beginning.”
The announcement is part of a larger movement toward modernizing how care is delivered across the province. In addition to this funding, Ontario will invest $300 million to create up to 17 new community-based primary care teaching clinics. These hubs will also serve high-need communities and are expected to further close the gap for the province’s 235,000 individuals currently unattached to a family doctor.
Flemingdon CEO Jen Quinlan noted the long-term value of community-driven care. “For the cost of a single trip to the emergency department, FHC can provide a suite of health care services to that same person for an entire year.”
The province will also allocate $142 million over the next three years to support health worker recruitment and retention, with a focus on expanding roles like nurse practitioners and physician assistants in team settings.
The announcement received widespread support from health sector leaders, including the Ontario Medical Association, the Ontario College of Family Physicians, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, and the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council.
“This investment responds directly to RNAO’s long-standing call to build a health system rooted in strong community care,” said Dr. Doris Grinspun, CEO of RNAO.
The next call for proposals for additional teams is scheduled for September 2025.
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