THUNDER BAY — Hospitals in the Thunder Bay district are not part of a provincial plan unveiled last week to increase access to doctors and nurses, but they may have better luck later this year, the Ministry of Health says.
"This is just the first round of new and expanded primary care teams — there will be a second round this summer," a ministry spokeswoman said on Friday.
In a news release, the ministry said it's spending $213 million "to support the first call for proposals that will create or expand up to 80 primary care teams."
It says the move will result in 300,000 people having access to a doctor and primary care team in their area, including those who are currently on a waiting list.
The list of eligible communities in the first round does not include the Thunder Bay district, although the Rainy River and Algoma districts were included.
The first round "is targeted to communities, by postal code, that have the highest number of people not connected to primary care, averaging 8,000 people unattached per postal code," the ministry news release said.
Primary care teams that are included in the first round of proposals have until May 2 to make a submission to the ministry.
The initiative is being overseen by former federal health minister Jane Philpott.
"In communities across Ontario, primary care teams will be (the) entry to care, where you will have a team of health professionals led by a family doctor or nurse practitioner to provide the care and services you need," Philpott said in the news release.
The Chronicle-Journal / Local Journalism Initiative
