Health Care Connect for professionals

Overview

Health Care Connect can help Ontarians to find a family physician, nurse practitioner or primary care team who are accepting new patients.

Ontario is taking steps to ensure people and their families have access to high-quality care closer to home for generations to come. Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan will connect two million more people to a publicly funded family physician, nurse practitioner or primary care team by 2029, achieving the government’s goal of connecting everyone in the province to primary care.

How it works

Patients can register for the program:

• by calling 811
• online

To successfully register, patients must have:

• a valid OHIP card
• complete a health questionnaire to determine their need for family health care services

Priority is given to individuals who have greater health needs.

Once registered, program participants are assigned to a care connector.

Care connectors, who are nurses employed by Ontario Health atHome, will work with family physicians, nurse practitioners and primary care teams who are accepting new patients.

Once an available family physician, nurse practitioner or primary care team is found, Health Care Connect will give them the patient’s information to schedule their first appointment.

Health Care Connect sends patients a letter to inform them when their referral information has been passed on to a family physician, nurse practitioner or primary care team, including the contact information for the practice.

How to join Health Care Connect

Local Ontario Health Teams and their Primary Care Networks are a family physician, nurse practitioner or primary care team’s first contact to join Health Care Connect.

Ontario Health Teams and Primary Care Networks will work closely with you to understand your practice and your ability to take on new patients.

A care connector will review a patient's information to facilitate any necessary referrals and provide any necessary support regarding the program.