Three new Northeastern Ontario Health Teams will better connect and coordinate care for people in their community
SUDBURY — The Ontario government has approved three new Ontario Health Teams in Northeastern Ontario that will break down barriers to better connect people to care within their community. By working together, Ontario Health Teams ensure people can move between health care providers more easily with one patient record and one plan that follows them wherever they go.
“Across the province, Ontario Health Teams are transforming the way people in Ontario access care and play a critical role in building a more convenient and better-connected health care system,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “With the approval of these three new teams, our government is ensuring providers work together to provide people faster and easier access to the care they need, when they need it.”
The three new Ontario Health Teams are:
- Équipe Santé Ontario Cochrane District Ontario Health Team, serving Chapleau, Cochrane, Matheson, Iroquois Falls, Hearst, Hornepayne, Missinabie, Kapuskasing, Smooth Rock Falls, and Timmins;
- Équipe Santé Ontario Sudbury Espanola Manitoulin Elliot Lake Ontario Health Team, serving Greater Sudbury and Sudbury East, Espanola, Manitoulin, Elliot Lake, and surrounding areas; and
- Équipe Santé Ontario des régions du Timiskaming Area Ontario Health Team, serving the Timiskaming District and surrounding region.
This expansion will help people in Northeastern Ontario better understand their health care history, ease their transition from one provider to another, directly connect them to different types of care and provide 24/7 help in navigating the health care system. Ontario Health Teams bring together health care providers from across health and community sectors including primary care, hospitals, home and community care, and mental health and addiction services as one collaborative team to better coordinate care and share resources.
As part of Your Health: A Plan for Connect and Convenient Care, the government is expanding Ontario Health Teams to deliver better care to communities across the province. With these three new teams, Ontario will have a total of 57 Ontario Health Teams and is one step closer to achieving its goal of full provincial coverage, ensuring that every person in Ontario has the support of an Ontario Health Team.