Health care announcement means more people could get a doctor

Story and photos by Sharon Harrison
More people in Prince Edward County can expect to secure a doctor in the coming years as part of the Ontario government’s plan to invest more than $2,652,300 this year to connect up to 5,972 more people to primary care in the region.

“Today, I am excited to share the next steps our government is taking to deliver our primary care action plan which is on track to connect everyone in the province to a family doctor or primary care provider by 2029,” shared Tyler Allsopp, Bay of Quinte MPP.

The announcement was made at the Prince Edward Family Health Team’s (PEFHT) Harbourview Clinic on Bridge Street, Picton.

Joining Allsopp was Prince Edward County mayor Steve Ferguson, Dr. Sarah LeBlanc, Hastings Prince Edward Ontario Health Team co-lead, Sheila Braidek, executive director of the Belleville and Quinte West Community Health Centre, and Jane Wollenberg, Hastings Prince Edward Ontario Health Team patient client and partner council representative. PEFHT board members and officials, health system leaders and frontline workers were also present, along with Barinder Gill, PEFHT executive director.

“This investment will support local family health teams, like the one in Prince Edward, and community health centres within the Hastings Prince Edward Ontario Health Team (HPE OHT) to provide care through team-based inter-disciplinary community clinics,” said Allsopp.

He said this expansion of primary care in Prince Edward and Hastings is funded through the latest call for proposals under the provincial government’s primary care action plan. 124 teams are receiving funding that is expected to connect another 500,000 patients to primary care across Ontario this year alone.

“Having consistent access to a dedicated primary care provider offers peace of mind and ensures smoother navigation of the health care system,” said Allsopp. “With today’s investment, we’re building on our on-going efforts to build inter-disciplinary teams that provide high-quality care conveniently within our local communities.”

“When I speak to mayor Ferguson and other heads of council and local representatives, continued access to doctors and primary care providers is one of the questions they raise most often,” he said.

Dr. Sarah LeBlanc

LeBlanc welcomed the funding, describing the news of the more than $2.6 million investment in primary care in the region, as “exciting”, but acknowledged this was just a starting point and there was more work to be done.

“This funding is a significant step forward in connecting more than 5,000 people in Hastings and Prince Edward counties to a family doctor or nurse practitioner,” expressed LeBlanc. “Working in teams allows us all to practice to our optimal scope ensuring the right patient is seen by the right professional at the right time. We have targeted these investments in communities with high unattached populations helping to connect residents to stable primary care.”

“This practical step will attach thousands more across our region and improve access closer to home. Most importantly, it helps us deliver person-centred care.”

Ferguson said today’s announcement is welcome news for Prince Edward County and other municipalities in the area.

“It reflects the kind of partnership that we need to ensure more residents can connect to primary care,” Ferguson said. “Council has been clear that municipalities cannot solve the physician shortage alone. We’ve stepped up with local investment, innovative recruitment tools and strong regional collaboration and we are already seeing measurable results.”

Barinder Gill

The province’s continued commitment to attaching more patients to primary care strengthens the work already underway in our community and helps ensure that more families, seniors and newcomers in Prince Edward County can access consistent timely care close to home, he said.

Gill said he appreciated Allsopp’s advocacy for the region, and for his support for strengthening health care close to home.

“Today’s announcement is meaningful because it represents investment in more than one organization: it is an investment in people and partnerships, and in the future of integrated care across our communities,” expressed Gill.

Sheila Braidek

Braidek stated primary health care has been working hard to come together to articulate a shared vision of what we want to achieve in Hastings Prince Edward.

“I have really just been so impressed with the commitment that has been shown by the various organizations, the individual leaders, from family health teams, community health centres, and others really trying to move forward and come together as a collective. “

“I think what we have seen as a result of that coming together, we are starting to see in terms of some of the investments being made, the programs that are being developed, some of the new opportunities that are being contemplated as we move forward,” she shared.

Jane Wollenberg

Wollenberg was also encouraged by the news, saying how she has witnessed how essential timely, compassionate primary care truly is.

“People in our communities have waited a long time for this connection, often navigating what is a complex system on their own,” shared Wollenberg. “Today’s investment brings real hope. The expansion of primary care teams with the addition of nurses and allied health professionals builds stronger support for patients in their own community.”

The OHT will establish a process to accept new patients and to communicate this to the local community, said Allsopp.

Through the 2026 budget, the province is also increasing overall funding for the plan to a total of $3.4 billion between 2025 and 2029.

The province has also exceeded its 2025-2026 attachment goal under the primary care action plan, which was to connect 300,000 patients to a primary care provider by March 31, 2026, Allsopp shared. As of Jan. 1, 2026, the province states it has already attached 330,000 people to care in 2025-2026, surpassing by more than 30,0000 with three months still to go.