Ontario Connecting More People to Primary Care in Waterloo Region
August 5, 2025
$4.1 million investment brings the province one step closer to connecting everyone in Ontario to primary care by 2029.
KITCHENER — 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 Ontario Government is investing $4.1 million this year to connect more people to primary care in Waterloo Region. This investment is part of the government’s Primary Care Action Plan that will help connect 300,000 people to primary care this year.
“Connecting every person in our community to a primary care provider will improve health outcomes and quality of life,” said Mike Harris, MPP for Kitchener–Conestoga. “This investment of $4.1 million will expand the incredible work of local health teams, including Community Healthcaring KW, New Vision Family Health Team, Waterloo Region Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic, and the Woolwich CHC, and connect thousands of residents across Waterloo Region to the care they deserve. I’m proud to see our region leading the way in building a more connected and accessible health-care system.”
Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo, New Vision Family Health Team, Waterloo Region Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic, and Woolwich Community Health Centre have received funding through a recent call for proposals 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 waitlist. Each successful team has established a plan to attach a high proportion of unattached people in their postal codes and demonstrated readiness to achieve significant progress within a year.
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 over 300 new primary care teams across the province. This includes $235 million in 2025-26 that in part is supporting over 130 new and expanded primary care teams across the province.
“We are continuing to build on our government’s record investments, which have helped secure Ontario the highest rate of access to a regular health-care provider in the country,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “We are protecting Ontario’s health-care system and people’s access to convenient care by funding new and expanded primary care teams across the province, helping connect everyone in Ontario to a primary care provider.”
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.
QUOTES
“The Ontario government’s investment in our region is a vital step toward ensuring that more people in the Kitchener-Waterloo area have access to primary care. Our community has a strong network of dedicated healthcare professionals, and this funding will help expand their reach, providing timely and comprehensive care to those who need it most.”
– Jess Dixon, MPP Kitchener South – Hespeler
“We appreciate the leadership of Ontario Health and the Primary Care Action Team in shining a light on the urgent issue of unattached patients across our province. Here at Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo, we’re grateful to work alongside dedicated partners across the Kitchener-Waterloo region to create meaningful, community-rooted solutions. Together, we’re building a stronger, more connected primary care system that ensures everyone has access to the care they need and deserve.”
– Tara Groves-Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo
“Woolwich Community Health Centre is grateful for the government’s investment to bring over 2,600 residents of Woolwich, Wellesley, Wilmot, and surrounding areas, into the care of our integrated primary care team. We look forward to working alongside our KW4 OHT partners to continue bringing excellent healthcare to our communities.”
– Ben Hesch, Chief Executive Officer, Woolwich Community Health Centre
“On behalf of the Waterloo Region Nurse Practitioner Led Clinic, I want to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Government of Ontario for its continued investment in primary care. The recent commitment to expand interprofessional teams, announced as part of Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan, led by Dr. Jane Philpott and the Primary Care Action Team, is a vital step toward connecting more Ontarians to the care they deserve. Nurse Practitioner Led Clinics are uniquely positioned to reduce barriers and increase access to high quality, team-based primary care. We are proud to once again be selected as recipients of funding that will allow us to expand services and better meet the growing health need of our communities. We are grateful that the province continues to recognize the vital role Nurse Practitioner Led Clinics play in strengthening our health system, and we thank MPP Mike Harris for his steadfast advocacy and ongoing support for improving health care in our community.”
– Leanne Terry, Executive Director, Waterloo Region Nurse Practitioner Led Clinic
“New Vision Family Health Team is proud to receive funding from Ontario Health to expand access to primary care in our region, especially for unattached patients. This investment will help both our team and partnering Family Health Organization grow capacity and deliver more timely, patient-centered care. We’re committed to working closely with Ontario Health and our community partners to ensure every resident has access to the care they need and deserve.”
– New Vision Family Health Team
“Access to care leads to better health outcomes, more equity, and enhanced well-being for residents. This funding increases access to primary care in communities where it is most needed, connecting residents to services close to home. I would like to thank the Government of Ontario for its continued investment in the health and well-being of the residents in Waterloo Region.”
– Karen Redman, Chair of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo
“We are incredibly grateful for the Province of Ontario’s continued investment in the health and wellbeing of our residents in Kitchener and our neighbouring communities through the Primary Care Action Plan. The more than $2 million in new funding to support Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo and the New Vision Family Health Team — will make a meaningful difference in connecting many Kitchener individuals and families to the care they need, close to home.”
– Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener
“We’re grateful to see this important investment in our community. Primary care is an integral part of our healthcare system, helping people stay healthy and reducing pressures on our acute care facilities. As the level of government closest to residents, municipalities contribute meaningfully to the success of primary care through thoughtful community planning and design. We sincerely thank the province for recognizing the importance of this care and taking action. Together, we are helping Waterloo Region stay safe, healthy, and thriving.”
– Dorothy McCabe, Mayor of Waterloo
“I would like to thank the Ontario Government for providing critical funding to support Woolwich Community Health Centre’s expansion of healthcare services, and thank Minister Harris for his advocacy. This is a positive step forward, connecting more residents of Wellesley Township with a Primary Care Provider. As our community grows, I look forward to subsequent rounds of funding to continue towards the goal of providing access to primary healthcare for all our residents.”
– Joe Nowak, Mayor Wellesley Township
“We are incredibly grateful to the Province for this vital investment in primary care services in Woolwich and across our Region. Expanding access to family doctors and health teams, especially in rural communities, is essential to ensuring the health and wellbeing of our growing communities.”
– Sandy Shantz, Mayor Woolwich Township
QUICK FACTS
- Interprofessional primary care teams connect people to a range of health professionals that work together under one roof, including registered 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, which is expected to launch in September 2025.
- 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.