More Than 1,500 Patients in Leeds and Grenville Connected to Primary Care Since May

Minister Jones, MPP Clark thank local partners for tremendous progress to reduce Health Care Connect waitlist since $4.7-million Primary Care Action Plan announcement

BROCKVILLE — Sylvia Jones, Ontario’s Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, joined Steve Clark, MPP for Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, at Rideau Community Health Services (RCHS) today where they heard about the impressive progress being made to connect local families to primary care thanks to a $2,129,300 investment through Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan.

In April, MPP Clark announced that a partnership involving the Lanark, Leeds & Grenville Ontario Health Team, RCHS, Country Roads Community Health Centre, and ConnectWell Community Health received the funding to connect 5,100 people to team-based primary care.

To date, the partners have rostered more than 700 people in Brockville, Mallorytown and the surrounding rural areas from the Health Care Connect waitlist.

Significant progress is also being made in North Grenville. Since the new Kemptville Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic was announced in April with a $2.6-million investment through the Primary Care Action Plan, existing healthcare organizations have rostered more than 800 patients from the Health Care Connect waitlist in anticipation of access to the new clinic’s allied health team when it opens later this year.

“This is tremendous progress and it’s happening even before these clinics are operating at full capacity. I’m so proud of the work being done by partners and frontline healthcare staff since we made these announcements in April,” said MPP Clark. “I want to thank Minister Jones for her leadership as our government’s historic investments through the Primary Care Action Plan are ensuring everyone in Leeds and Grenville is connected to a primary care team.”

“As we work to connect everyone to primary care by 2029, our government is protecting Ontario’s healthcare system by investing in new and expanded primary care teams in Ontario communities, including Leeds and Grenville, that will keep families healthier while relieving pressures on emergency departments,” said Minister Jones. “We encourage those looking for a new primary care clinician to sign up for Health Care Connect, the fastest and most seamless way to get connected to a family doctor, nurse practitioner or primary care team.”

In addition, the Ministry of Health has approved $449,000 in annual funding to the Prescott Family Health Team. The funding will allow the Prescott Family Health Team to attach 1,115 patients in the South Grenville area from the Health Care Connect waitlist.

Combined with the April announcement, this means more than 12,000 local patients will be connected to team-based care, said MPP Clark, who urged anyone without a primary care clinician to ensure they are registered with Health Care Connect.

“This funding is a great opportunity to expand access to primary care and connect more patients with the care they need, closer to home in the South Grenville region. We are incredibly grateful for this investment and for the strong collaboration with our local Ontario Health Team partners,” said Dinny Mathew, Executive Director of the Prescott Family Health Team. “On behalf of the Prescott FHT Board, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to MPP Clark for his support and assistance throughout this process. His willingness to understand the needs of our region and provide support has been greatly appreciated. With this new opportunity, we are confident that we can attach more patients to care, strengthen team-based primary care, and provide coordinated, patient-centred services to our community.”

“On behalf of Prescott FHT, I would like to thank MPP Steve Clark and the Ministry of Health for this additional funding. This will allow us to connect new patients to our outstanding primary care team as well as improve the services we are providing to our existing patients. I would also like to acknowledge the tireless efforts of our Executive Director, Dr. Dinny Mathew, in advocating for our local community,” said Dr. Matthew Cooke, Lead Physician with the Prescott Family Health Team.

“This announcement highlights the remarkable progress being made across Leeds, Grenville and Lanark to connect more people with primary care. Through strong collaboration among local healthcare organizations, providers, and community partners, we are already seeing hundreds of residents gain access to primary care,” said Morgan Hawn, Executive Lead, Lanark, Leeds and Grenville Ontario Health Team. “The Lanark, Leeds and Grenville Ontario Health Team is proud to support these ongoing efforts and the collective commitment to ensuring more people are connected to the right care, at the right time, close to home.”

Ontario established the Primary Care Action Plan in January 2025, which will connect approximately two million more people to primary care by 2029, supported by the province’s investment of more than $3.4 billion. A total of 124 successful applicants are receiving funding for a new or expanded primary care team as part of the 2026-27 call for proposals. These teams will connect another 500,000 patients to primary care across Ontario, including those on the Health Care Connect waitlist.

Since the launch of the Primary Care Action Plan in January 2025, the province has attached over 437,000 people to primary care.

Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government continues to take bold and decisive action to grow the province’s highly skilled health-care workforce and ensure people and their families have access to high-quality care, closer to home, for generations to come.