Primary Health Care in Cornwall and SDG Receives $4 Million Boost
February 16, 2024Cornwall Ontario — The Ontario government is investing $4,074,398 to connect more people to primary care teams in Cornwall and the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry.
MPP Nolan Quinn; Erin Killoran; Seaway Valley Community Health Centre, Donna Derouchie, Rideau St. Lawrence Family Health; Diane Plourde, Great River Ontario Health Team; Penelope Smith, Glengarry Nurse Practitioner Led Clinic Team; Marc Bisson, Centre de santé communautaire de l’Estrie; and Dr. Marilyn Crabtree, Great River Ontario Health Team (not present for picture but key to application).
The funding will be used to expand existing primary care services offered by the Seaway Valley Community Health Centre, Centre de santé Communautaire de l’Estrie, Glengarry Nurse Practitioner Led Clinic, and the Rideau St. Lawrence Family Health Team. This is part of Ontario’s $110 million investment to connect up to 328,000 people to primary care teams, bringing the province one step closer to connecting everyone in Ontario to primary care.
“This funding announcement is great news for our community. It will connect an estimated 19,340 people to a primary care provider in Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry,” said Nolan Quinn, MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry. “Today’s announcement brings us one step closer to making sure no one in our community is left behind in our healthcare system and that everyone has a doctor or nurse practitioner.”
The local application to the province was a joint effort coordinated by the Great River Ontario Health Team.
“We are thrilled about this investment in our local communities as we know our primary health care models will provide much needed care to people who are experiencing barriers to access.” said Diane Plourde, Executive Transformation Lead for the Great River Ontario Health Team. “Our successful application is an excellent demonstration of the power of collaboration and what can be accomplished when we work together!”
Interprofessional primary care teams connect people to a range of health professionals that work together under one roof, including doctors, nurse practitioners, registered and practical nurses, physiotherapists, social workers and dietitians, among others. Timely access to primary care helps people stay healthier for longer with faster diagnosis and treatment, as well as more consistent support managing their day-to-day health while relieving pressures on emergency departments and walk-in clinics.
“Our government is making record investments to ensure that everyone that wants to have a primary care provider can connect to one,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “While there is more work to do, giving hundreds of thousands of more Ontarians the opportunity to connect to primary care brings us that much closer to this goal.”
Additional Information
- This funding comes as part of the Ontario government’s $90 million investment to add over 400 new primary care providers as part of 78 new and expanded interprofessional primary care teams.
- Ontario’s investment of $90 million dollars triples the original $30 million dollars earmarked to expand interprofessional primary care teams and will deliver over four times as many initiatives as outlined in our Your Health Plan almost a year ago.
- Ontario invests over $1 billion in interprofessional primary care teams annually.
- This funding complements other efforts to expand medical school spots and provincial licensing regulation for out-of-province and foreign-trained health professionals.
Great River Ontario Health Team
The Great River Ontario Health Team (GR OHT) is a collective of health and social service providers who plan and work together, as one coordinated team, to provide integrated services and supports to meet the health needs of people who seek care in the City of Cornwall, Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry, Akwesasne and parts of rural Southeast Ottawa and Russell Township.
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