Huron-Bruce MPP announces $1-million for Kincardine Family Health Team

As part of its $2.1-billion Primary Care Action Plan, to connect everyone in Ontario to a publicly-funded family doctor or primary care team, the province is investing a total of $3,010,700 this year to connect up to 6,850 people to primary care in Huron-Bruce.

Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson was at the Kincardine Hospital, Monday afternoon, to announce $1,009,500 for the Kincardine Family Health Team, as well as $1,143,200 for the Brockton and Area Family Health Team, and $858,00 for the Grand Bend Area Community Health Centre.

“Access to primary care is essential for the health and well-being of our communities here in Huron-Bruce,” said Thompson. “I’m pleased to see these three primary care teams receiving funding through Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan, as this investment will help strengthen local health care by ensuring more residents have timely access to the care they need, close to home.”

These primary care teams were funded through a call for proposals that focused on communities —identified by postal code — with the highest number of residents not connected to primary care, including those on the Health Care Connect wait-list. In collaboration with regional Ontario Health Teams and Primary Care Networks, each successful lead organization has established a plan to attach a high proportion of unattached people in its postal codes and work with neighbouring Family Health Teams to achieve significant progress.

This investment is part of the more than $2.1-billion the Ontario government is investing to support the Primary Care Action Plan that will add more than 300 new primary care teams across the province. This includes $235-million in 2025-26 that, in part, is supporting more than 130 new and expanded primary care teams across the province.

"On behalf of the Grey Bruce Ontario Health Team and Primary Care Network, I’d sincerely thank Lisa Thompson and her team for being here today to announce this provincial investment that will connect more than 4,000 residents of Grey-Bruce to primary care over the next year,” said Dr. Kelly Fenn, co-chairperson of the Grey-Bruce Ontario Health Team, and chairperson of the Primary Care Network.

“I also acknowledge the significant effort by local primary care providers, primary care administrative leaders, and community health partners that went into the development of the two Grey-Bruce proposals that were submitted in May, and the subsequent implementation plans that were recently approved. Development and submission of proposals and plans was facilitated by the Grey-Bruce Ontario Health Team, a collaboration of local health-care leaders, and the Grey-Bruce Primary Care Network, a cohesive group of local physicians and nurse practitioners who provide guidance and direction for primary care in the region.

“Through this funding, eight organizations will receive funding to expand access and attachment to primary care in Kincardine, Brockton, Meaford, Thornbury, Flesherton, Saugeen Shores, Listowel/Wingham, and the North and South Bruce Peninsula. Additionally, we look forward to continuing to support the provincial Primary Care Action Plan, and to strengthening our local health-care system by ensuring Grey-Bruce residents have timely access to the care they need close to home."

QUICK FACTS
 

• Inter-professional primary care teams connect people to a range of health professionals who work together under one roof, including registered nurses and registered practical nurses, physiotherapists, social workers, and pharmacists, helping patients to receive more connected and convenient care.
• Eligible teams not selected for funding in this round will be encouraged to refine and resubmit their proposals for the next call for proposals, as of Sept. 22.
• Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team, led by Dr. Jane Philpott, will implement its action plan supported by the government’s historic investment of more than $2.1-billion to connect approximately two-million more people to a family physician or primary care team by 2029, which will achieve the government’s goal of connecting everyone in the province to primary care.
• The Ontario government recently passed the Primary Care Act, 2025 which establishes primary care as the foundation of Ontario’s health-care system and sets out six clear objectives for Ontario’s publicly-funded primary care system to ensure people know what they can expect when connecting to primary care.
• In 2024, Ontario invested $110-million in primary care teams across the province, helping to connect 328,000 more people to primary care close to home.

Attending the funding announcement, Monday, in Kincardine, are Ralph Ganter (left) of the Grand Bend Area Community Health Centre, Dr. Kelly Fenn of the Grey-Bruce Ontario Health Team and Primary Care Network, Dr. Gary Gurbin of the Kincardine Family Health Team, Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson, Pam Rantz of the Kincardine Family Health Team, Dr. Debbie Dyke of the Grey-Bruce Ontario Health Team, Kincardine mayor Kenneth Craig, Lindsay Johnston of the Grey-Bruce Ontario Health Team, and Huron-Kinloss mayor Don Murray, deputy warden of Bruce County