The Kawartha Lakes Haliburton Ontario Health Team (KLH-OHT) is pleased to share an update on our ongoing efforts on behalf of our partners to strengthen access to primary care across our region. Working in partnership with local Family Health Teams, Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics, Community Health Centres, and independent physician practices, we continue to make progress in connecting unattached residents with a primary care provider.

As part of this system-wide effort, we are currently working through the Health Care Connect (HCC) waitlist to match patients with new or expanding primary care teams. If you do not have a primary care provider, registering with Health Care Connect is the most important step you can take. You can register online at ontario.ca/healthcareconnect or by calling 1-800-445-1822.

Importantly, you no longer need to “de-roster” from your existing provider (for example, if you are still rostered to a doctor or nurse practitioner in another community far away). Registering with HCC will not affect your current care but will help us identify who in our local communities is actively seeking a new provider closer to home. This updated process helps ensure that all residents who want to access care locally are counted and prioritized appropriately.

To date, we are pleased to report that:

• 700 new patients are being attached at the Haliburton Highlands Family Health Organization (approximately 250 to date),
• 100+ new patients are being attached to Nurse Practitioners and/or Family Physicians practices in Bobcaygeon, Woodville and Lindsay
• Various primary care providers across the KLH-OHT geography continue to expand capacity to welcome more patients as we build capacity across the system.

These efforts represent important progress toward building a stronger, more equitable primary care foundation—one that ensures every resident has access to comprehensive, team-based care close to home.

We thank all residents for their patience as we continue this important work and encourage everyone seeking a local provider to register with Health Care Connect today.

“So much of health begins with primary care,” says Stephanie MacLaren, Executive Director of the KLH-OHT. “Working through this monumental task takes deep partnership and commitment. Our shared goal is to strengthen access—because primary care is not only the front door to the health system, it’s a cornerstone of healthy communities. We are grateful for the Ontario government’s investment in primary care and the work of the Primary Care Action Team.”

For more information, visit www.klhoht.ca or follow our updates on social media.