Searching for primary care within a VHA-serviced catchment area?
Finding a primary physician or nurse practitioner can be a stressful experience. Thankfully there are programs and community partners at your fingertips ready to help connect you with healthcare providers in your area.
When trying to connect with a primary care physician or nurse practitioner in your area, your fist stop should be to register with Ontario’s Health Care Connect program or by calling Health 811. Registering for this program will ensure you are placed on a list and connected with a primary care provider in your area as soon as one becomes available.
If you are looking for additional resources within the area you live, VHA Home HealthCare is proud to partner with a number of care providers across the catchment area we serve. Many of our partnering organizations manage complimentary programs, which also work to connect residents in their catchment areas with care providers open to accepting new patients.
Depending on where you live you may be able to connect with partners, like your local Ontario Health Team, to see what supports are available to you, close to home.
Greater Toronto Area:
Throughout the Greater Toronto Area, There a wide number of Ontario Health Teams, Family Health Teams and Community Health Centres that can support you with your needs for care.
The North Toronto Ontario Health Team has an easy to fill out registration form to help connect you with a primary care provider in your area. After filling out the registration form, a team member will be in touch in approximately eight weeks to provide you with an update and next steps. North Toronto residents (bordered by St. Clair, Bathurst, Sheppard and Victoria Park) can join the Sunnybrook Academic Family Health Team’s wait list to be connected with a primary care provider in their neighbourhood.
In North York, residents waiting for a primary care provider can be connected to a temporary Nurse Practitioner until they can be placed with a permanent provider through the North York Toronto Health Partners Ontario Health Team.
In western Toronto, community residents can learn about services and care options available to them through the West Toronto Ontario Health Team. Other options can potentially be found through the Toronto Western Family Health Team (TW FHT), which is affiliated with University Health Network for clients living in proximity to their Bathurst and Garrison Creek Sites. These locations train University of Toronto medical students and residents so patients may see a student or resident during their visit.
In eastern Toronto and Scarborough, residents can connect with East Toronto Health Partners to find a full directory of services available including primary care in the community. Through Michael Garron Hospital’s Stavro Emergency Department, Mental Health Outpatient Programs, paediatric clinics and the Family and Newborn (FAN) Clinic, internal referrals can also be made to their Primary Care Navigation Clinic.
For residents of Scarborough, resources can be found through the Scarborough Ontario Health Team, who can help you register for waiting lists in your area or connect you with local resources such as the Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities.
Durham:
Clients in Durham looking for a primary care provider can learn about the services available to them through the Durham Ontario Health Team. Other excellent care options can be found through local providers, such as the Durham Community Health Centre who may be able to connect you with a care provider in their network currently accepting new patients.
London:
VHA works with a number of community partners in the London area through the Middlesex London Ontario Health Team who recommend that residents register with Ontario Health Connect to be matched with a local health care provider. Contacting local clinics can also be a great way to know who is accepting new patients in the area.
Ottawa:
In the Greater Ottawa area, VHA Home HealthCare operates as Champlain Rehab Solutions. Champlain regularly works with other organizations and members of the Ottawa Ontario Health Team. Ottawa Public Health also has many resources available to better understand the services available in your community.
Ontario’s government has a plan to connect every person in Ontario with a permanent primary care provider by 2029. While waiting for a primary care provider can be stressful, rest assured that progress is being made. The best advice we can give to our clients is to be patient and get on the list as soon as possible. Once you’re on the list, you can continue to reach out to some of the resources we’ve listed above to be connected with providers as soon as they start accepting new patients. And remember, if you are ever in need in medical attention and do not have a primary care provider, you can access a walk-in clinic in your neighbourhood. If you are experiencing an emergency, always call 911 or visit the nearest hospital emergency department.