Ontario is Connecting over 10,000 More People to Primary Care across Perth and Huron Counties
April 17, 2026
[Listowel, ON] — Today, Matthew Rae, MPP for Perth-Wellington and Lisa Thompson, MPP of Huron-Bruce announced that the Huron Perth and Area Ontario Health Team will receive $4,324,000 through the Primary Care Action Plan to help connect an additional 10,157 patients to a primary care team.
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.
“Today’s investment is a significant step forward for people and families across Huron and Perth counties,” said Lisa Thompson, MPP for Huron-Bruce. “Our government remains committed to strengthening rural healthcare by supporting the dedicated professionals on the front lines and building a system that is more connected, accessible, and responsive to the needs of both Huron and Perth.”
“This investment will help more people in Listowel and across Huron and Perth connect to a primary care provider close to home,” said MPP Matthew Rae. “It’s about improving access to care and making sure we continue to invest in our rural health care system.”
The $4.324 million investment into the Huron Perth and Area Ontario Health Team will be dispersed between the Family Health Teams (FHT) in the region: Listowel-Wingham and Area FHT, STAR FHT, Stratford FHT, Huron Community FHT, Maitland Valley FHT, Clinton FHT, Happy Valley FHT, Bluewater Area FHT and Grand Bend Area Community Health Centre and Family Health Organization.
The Family Health Teams receiving funding will act quickly to recruit healthcare professionals to attach more patients. Those without a family doctor or seeking to obtain one closer to home may add their name to the Healthcare Connect list, which is the primary method to attach patients to a new primary care provider.
“This funding reflects the strength of primary care in Huron Perth & Area and the opportunity to strengthen it further by working more closely as a system. By aligning teams, providers, and community partners, we are improving how care is coordinated, making it more connected and easier for people to access and navigate where they live,” said Joelle Lewis, Director of Huron Perth and Area Ontario Health Team. “This collaborative approach is a major step forward for our region to ensure everyone has access to primary care and the supports they need to stay healthy.”
The Huron Perth and Area Ontario Health Team were funded through the latest call for proposals under the Primary Care Action Plan. All 124 teams that received funding across Ontario are expected to connect an additional 500,000 patients to primary care.
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.
“We are grateful for this important investment in team based primary care in Huron and Perth. These funds recognize the commitment of our family physicians, nurse practitioners, and care teams in ensuring every resident who needs a family doctor or nurse practitioner can have one, close to home,” said Robin Spence Haffner, Executive Director of the Listowel-Wingham and Area Family Health Team. “Expanding our teams allows us to care for more people, reduce barriers, and ensure patients receive the right care, at the right time, from the right provider.”
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 Perth and Huron counties, our government is taking the next step toward connecting everyone in the province to primary care by 2029.”
This $4,324,000 investment builds upon the $822,604 investment made in 2024 to help connect an additional 2,000 residents in Huron and Perth Counties to a primary care provider.
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.