This article has been provided by the office MPP Brian Saunderson.
Growing up, the family doctor played an integral role in our life.
From welcoming our children into the world, to those first visits to getting shots throughout the years of childhood.
From sports injuries to ski mishaps to making sure everything healed as expected, the family doctor was always there.
Looking back, having a family doctor was a privilege.
Now there are too many families raising children without a family doctor.
Our province continues to grow, and our population continues to age.
That’s why our government is doing everything it can to find ways and resources to match families with primary care.
It’s a vital service in every community throughout our riding.
In the last month and a half, two investments totalling more than $2,500,000 have been announced to connect more people to primary care teams in Simcoe-Grey. Ideally, this money will help almost 7,500 unattached patients receive primary care. This is part of Ontario’s $110 million investment to connect 328,000 people to primary care teams, bringing the province one step closer to connecting everyone in Ontario to primary care.
Those on the front line see the benefits of ensuring primary care is available.
“The South Georgian Bay region has experienced rapid population growth over the last few years which has placed immense strain on our primary care resources,” says Heather Klein Gebbinck, Executive Director of the South Georgian Bay Community Health Centre. “This funding is greatly appreciated, as it will allow us to expand our primary care team and keep up with the demand from our growing and complex unattached population.”
Interprofessional primary care teams connect people to a range of health professionals that work together under one roof, including doctors, nurse practitioners, registered and practical nurses, physiotherapists, social workers and dietitians, among others.
That’s important because we know timely access to primary care helps people stay healthier for longer with faster diagnosis and treatment, as well as more consistent support managing their day-to-day health while relieving pressures on emergency departments and walk-in clinics.
Looking down the road, our government is also making significant investments to expand medical school spots and to make it easier for highly skilled, internationally-trained doctors to care for people in Ontario. Ministry of Health modelling shows that these initiatives will help connect up to 98 per cent of people in Ontario to primary care in the next several years.
Other funding initiatives include:
- Increasing health care funding by $14 billion
- Starting 50 new major hospital projects
- Growing the health care workforce by 60,000 nurses and 8,000 new physicians
Healthcare is one of the foundations of our government.
Afterall, we know “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, but it’s nice to know a family doctor is available when we skip a day or two.
Learn more about what MPP Brian Saunderson is doing in your community online here.