Ontario announces three more health teams

TORONTO – The Ontario government, in partnership with Ontario Health, has approved three new Ontario Health Teams in Northern Ontario that will break down barriers in people’s healthcare to provide connected and more convenient care.

“These three new Ontario Health Teams will improve the way people access healthcare by ensuring they can more easily and seamlessly access the supports and services they need,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health (pictured). “The new Ontario Health Teams will also support more connected care between a person’s various providers, which is especially important to meet the unique needs of rural, remote, Indigenous, Francophone and other diverse communities.”

The three new Ontario Health Teams are:

• Maamwesying Ontario Health Team, serving Indigenous communities in Northeastern Ontario, including the urban Indigenous population in Sault Ste. Marie;
• City & District of Thunder Bay Ontario Health Team, serving Thunder Bay and the surrounding region; and
• Kiiwetinoong Healing Waters Ontario Health Team, serving Dryden, Red Lake and Sioux Lookout.

Working together, the new Ontario Health Teams will help patients experience easier transitions from one provider to another, with one patient record and one care plan being shared between their healthcare providers for a continuous patient story. They’ll have convenient access to connected providers who can better meet all of their healthcare needs. Ontarians can be confident that under an Ontario Health Team, they can continue to contact their healthcare providers as they always have to access the healthcare they need.

With these new teams, Ontario will have a total of 54 Ontario Health Teams. The Ministry of Health has also invited four new potential teams to complete full applications to become approved Ontario Health Teams. Once approved, these remaining teams would result in the province achieving its goal of full provincial coverage, ensuring everyone has the support of an Ontario Health Team. These four remaining teams are:

• Équipe Ontario Cochrane District Team;
• Équipe Sudbury Espanola Manitoulin Elliot Lake Team;
• Équipe des régions du Temiskaming Area Team; and
• West Parry Sound Team.

Ontario Health Teams bring together healthcare providers from across health and community sectors, including primary care, hospitals, home and community care, mental health and addictions services, and long-term care, as one collaborative team to better coordinate care and share resources.

An Ontario Health Team is responsible for delivering care for their patients, understanding their healthcare history, easing their transition from one provider to another, directly connecting them to different types of care, and providing 24/7 help in navigating the healthcare system.

As Ontario moves forward with the government’s transformative plan for Ontario’s healthcare system, the province recognizes the important role that Indigenous communities and organizations have in the planning, design, delivery and evaluation of programs and services for their communities. The Ministry of Health continues to work with First Nations communities through dedicated trilateral processes and relationship agreements to explore options to transform First Nations’ health.

During 2021-2022, over $48.4 million in funding was allocated for digital health and virtual care projects, with 229 approved Ontario Health Teams projects, impacting over 792,000 patients across all projects. The Ontario government is expecting similar types of opportunities to be available again in 2022-2023.

Ontario Health Teams integration has been a priority in design and implementation of Health Connect Ontario. Ontario Health Teams will continue to be engaged and involved in the governance and co-design of this service as it evolves.