Ministry of Health announce continued funding for urban and rural Access to Care
LAMBTON COUNTY – January 28, 2025 – Earlier today, MPP Bob Bailey shared that the Ministry of Health is allocating $910,000 per year over the next two years for Rapids Family Health Team, Central Lambton Family Health Team and North Lambton Community Health Centre to continue operations of urban and rural access to care centres in Sarnia-Lambton.
This funding is part of Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan, which aims to connect two million people in Ontario to primary care teams across the province by 2029. The Ontario government is making a historic investment of $1.8 billion over the next three years to support primary care teams In Sarnia-Lambton. Currently more than 10,000 residents in Sarnia-Lambton do not have a primary care provider.
The funding will help to bolster the continuation of a collaborative between Rapids Family Health Team, Central Lambton Family Health Team, North Lambton Community Health Centre, and the Sarnia-Lambton OHT, enhancing capacity in both the urban and rural sites, located at 481 London Rd. in Sarnia and 596 Broadway St. in Plympton-Wyoming.
Initial funding of $910,000 was announced last April, and the clinics have since seen over 6,600 individuals seek care since that time. In addition to maintaining ongoing operations, the funding will also allow the teams to further focus on connecting individuals to primary care providers over the next two years.
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“The Sarnia-Lambton OHT is excited to continue our partnership with the Access to Care Centres,” says Nadine Neve, Executive Lead, Sarnia-Lambton OHT. “This was a collaborative vision with multiple community partners that has successfully provided alternative options to the emergency departments for episodic illness for residents of the Sarnia-Lambton community, including those living in rural areas.”
“The Rural and Rapids Access to Care Centres have become a vital component of our health system in Sarnia-Lambton, allowing for alternatives to visiting the Emergency Department for episodic illness, and I am thrilled to receive this ongoing funding to support the centres, says Nicole Veenema, Manager, Central Lambton Family Health Team and Rural Access to Care. “The success of the centres has been a team effort with partners including Rapids Family Health Team, the Sarnia Lambton Ontario Health Team and North Lambton Community Health Centre.”
“Rapids Family Health Team is thrilled to have the opportunity to continue providing timely access to care for the community,” says Lynn Laidler, Executive Director, Rapids Family Health Team. “The initial funding helped us to expand our services, and this continuation will allow us to further our mission of ensuring residents receive the right care, where and when they need it most.”
“This continued funding will allow us to further increase access to primary care for those living in Sarnia-Lambton, ensuring that all individuals seeking care are provided services,” says Laura Burke, Chair, Central Lambton Family Health Team Board of Directors. “We have seen how the Access to Care Centres have benefited communities over the past year, and I am excited to see what we can accomplish in the years to come.”
For more information and upcoming service updates please visit sarnialambtonoht.ca, rapidsfhteam.ca, nlchc.com, or centrallambtonfamilyhealthteam.com.