North Bay clinics receive provincial funding under $3.4-billion action plan aimed at connecting every Ontarian to primary care
Ontario says new investments in primary care are helping expand access to family health services in North Bay as the province works toward its goal of connecting every resident to a primary care provider by 2029.
Premier Doug Ford visited the North Bay Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic on Thursday to highlight the province’s broader $3.4-billion Primary Care Action Plan, under which 130 care teams across Ontario are receiving funding to expand access to frontline health services.
The North Bay Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic received $477,800 through the province’s 2025–26 call for proposals and began enrolling patients in July 2025. Since then, the clinic has attached 245 patients to care, reaching 22 per cent of its target of 1,138 patients and putting it on pace to meet or exceed that goal by 2029, according to the province.
“We’re investing record amounts in health care across Ontario, building hospitals, training more doctors and nurses than ever before and connecting patients to convenient primary care in their community,” said Premier Ford. “Here in North Bay, these investments are helping more people get the care they need when and where they need it. I want to thank all of our incredible partners in the community who are helping make this possible as we work to connect everyone in the province to primary care by 2029.”
Indigenous and Regional Teams Also Funded in North Bay Area
In addition to the nurse practitioner-led clinic, the province is funding the North Bay Indigenous Hub — Giiwedno Mshkikiiwgamig, which received $714,700 to provide primary care access for Indigenous communities in North Bay, Nipissing First Nation, Dokis First Nation and Temagami First Nation.
The province said the Indigenous Hub has already achieved 26 per cent of its enrolment target.
Ontario’s Ministry of Health says both teams are part of a broader strategy to reduce emergency room pressures by expanding community-based care options.
“We are protecting Ontario’s health-care system by building new and expanded primary care teams in local communities that will keep people healthier for longer, while relieving pressures on emergency departments,” said Sylvia Jones. “We encourage all new patients to sign up for Health Care Connect as the fastest and most seamless way to get connected to a family doctor, nurse practitioner or primary care team.”
Province Reports Progress on Waitlist Reduction
Ontario says nearly 90 per cent of residents currently have access to a regular health-care provider, the highest rate among Canadian provinces, and that it remains on track to connect all Ontarians to primary care by 2029.
A key interim benchmark is eliminating the Health Care Connect waitlist that existed as of Jan. 1, 2025, by spring 2026. The province says that waitlist has now been reduced by more than 90 per cent.
The Primary Care Action Plan was established in January 2025 following the appointment of former federal health minister Jane Philpott as chair of Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team in October 2024.
Under the plan, Ontario aims to connect approximately two million more residents to primary care by 2029.
To date, the province says it has approved 199 applications for new or expanded interprofessional primary care teams through two rounds of funding, a move expected to connect 800,000 additional patients to care provincewide.
Broader Health-Care Expansion Underway
The Ontario government says 124 successful applicants were approved in the latest funding round alone, with those teams expected to connect another 500,000 patients to care, including people currently on the Health Care Connect waitlist.
The province is also developing a new provincewide Primary Care Medical Record system intended to integrate patient records, reduce paperwork for clinicians and improve care coordination.
Primary care teams funded through the initiative typically include physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, physiotherapists, social workers and dietitians working in integrated settings.
Vic Fedeli, MPP for Nipissing, said the investments are already showing results locally.
“Our government’s record investments in primary care are already delivering results here in North Bay,” said Vic Fedeli. “As the province remains on track to connect everyone in Ontario to primary care by 2029, we are proud of the work happening in our community to ensure local families have access to the care they need, where and when they need it.”
Health Workforce Expansion Supports Long-Term Strategy
The province says the Primary Care Action Plan forms part of its broader health-care strategy under Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care.
Ontario has also pointed to workforce growth as a supporting factor in the expansion effort. Since 2018, the province says it has added nearly 20,000 physicians to the health-care workforce, including a more than 14 per cent increase in family doctors.
The government also said it has taken steps to streamline licensing for U.S.-trained health professionals, with more than 1,700 nurses and over 450 doctors from the United States choosing to practise in Ontario in 2025.
Ontario invested $110 million in primary care teams in 2024, helping connect more than 580,000 additional people to care, according to provincial figures.