The Ottawa Valley Ontario Health Team (OVOHT) is making significant progress in connecting more residents on the Health Care Connect waitlist to a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

 

The OVOHT is one of more than 50 Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) across Ontario that have been approved by the Ministry of Health to support connected and coordinated care across the province.

 

As part of Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan, all OHTs have a provincial mandate to connect every person in Ontario to a family doctor or nurse practitioner in order to ensure that they receive ongoing, comprehensive, and convenient care.

 

Under this plan, individuals who were on the Health Care Connect waitlist as of January 1, 2025, are expected to be connected to a family doctor or nurse practitioner by this summer.

 

To date, over 72% of the individuals from the January 1, 2025 waitlist have been connected to primary care, and the waitlists for 19 municipalities have now been cleared. Since March 2025, over 4,800 residents have been matched with a local primary care provider.

 

While many residents across the region are still waiting to be connected to primary care, the OVOHT wants to assure the community that a clear plan is in place to continue connecting residents to the primary care they need and deserve.

 

Over the past year, nine new family doctors and two nurse practitioners have set up practice across the Ottawa Valley OHT, with more expected to begin over the next few months. These providers are building their practice by taking on individuals registered with Health Care Connect, maintaining continuity of care for those whose clinician has retired or left the community, and helping to clear other local waitlists where needed.

 

“We are committed to ensuring that every resident in our community has access to a high-quality primary care system that is close to home,” said Dr. Richard Johnson, Director of the Pembroke Family Medicine Teaching Unit and the Clinical Lead for the OVOHT. “These successes are just the beginning.”

Residents who are currently looking for a family doctor or nurse practitioner are encouraged to register for Health Care Connect online at www.ontario.ca/healthcareconnect or by calling 811.

 

About OVOHT

 

Launched in October 2021, the Ottawa Valley Ontario Health Team is made up of more than 50 local health professionals, health care providers, organizations, and community members who are working together to improve our health system and connect patients to the services they need in a more consistent and timely way.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Narissa Van Cooten, Communications and Administrative Specialist

Ottawa Valley Ontario Health Team

narvan@ovoht.ca