Ontario Connecting More People to Primary Care in York Region
May 21, 2026
NEWMARKET — The Ontario government is taking the next steps to deliver its Primary Care Action Plan, which is on track to connect everyone in the province to a family doctor or primary care provider by 2029.
As part of this plan to connect everyone in Ontario to a publicly funded family doctor or primary care team, the Ontario government is investing more than $2 million this year to connect up to 4279 people to primary care across Newmarket, Aurora, and Keswick.
“We’re grateful for the Government of Ontario’s continued investment in primary care,” said Christina Bisanz, co-chair of the NYSS OHT. “This expansion is an important step in strengthening how providers work together across the Northern York South Simcoe Ontario Health Team, helping us deliver more connected, team-based care and better meet the needs of residents in Newmarket and Aurora—closer to home.”
The Southlake Academic Family Health Team was funded through the latest call for proposals under the Primary Care Action Plan, with all 124 teams receiving funding expected to connect another 500,000 patients to primary care across Ontario. Each team has established a plan to attach a high proportion of unattached people in their community, including those on the Health Care Connect waitlist.
“Building a strong primary care system will support our residents in seeking the care they need close to home, as well as our providers in delivering that care,” said David Makary, MD, a physician with the Southlake Academic Family Health Team, Co-Chair of the NYSS OHT and Vice President, Academics and Community Health at Southlake Health.
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. As of January 1, 2026, the province has already attached 330,000 people to care in 2025-2026, surpassing its goal by more than 30,000 with three months still to go.
“Through our Primary Care Action Plan, we are connecting more people to care and have already exceeded our 2025-26 attachment target,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By connecting more families to care in York Region, our government is taking the next step toward connecting everyone in the province to primary care by 2029.”
“Ensuring families can access a family doctor or primary care provider close to home is one of the most important investments we can make in the health and wellbeing of our community. Through Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan, our government is helping connect thousands of residents across Newmarket and beyond to the care they need, when they need it,” said Dawn Gallagher Murphy, MPP for Newmarket—Aurora. I’m proud to support this investment in the Southlake Academic Family Health Team and the continued expansion of team-based, publicly funded primary care in our region.”
Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government continues to take bold and decisive action to grow the province’s highly skilled health-care workforce and ensure people and their families have access to high-quality care, closer to home, for generations to come.
