New provincial investment aims to connect thousands to primary care teams in Waterloo Region

Minister Sylvia Jones in Cambridge Ont. on July 22, 2024. (Submitted/Ministery of Health)

The Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Sylvia Jones, was in Cambridge to announce a $2.9 million investment to connect nearly 9,000 people to primary care teams in Waterloo Region.

Minister Jones visited the Langs Community Health Centre Monday morning to tour the facility and learn about the need to connect more people to primary care.

As part of the investment, the province will be supporting the expansion of an existing nurse practitioner-led clinic and the opening of two new community health centre sites in the region.

It is unclear where the new community health centres will be but the province said the one for Cambridge and North Dumfries residents will act as a satellite location. The centre for Wellesley residents is meant to help those in the rural and north parts of Woolwich County.

Primary care teams connect people to a range of health professionals from doctors, nurse practitioners, registered and practical nurses, physiotherapists, social workers and dietitians and more.

The investment is part of the $110 million investment to connect 328,000 people to primary care providers.

“Our government is making record investments to ensure everyone who wants to have a primary care provider can connect to one,” Minister Jones said in a news release. “While there is more work to do, giving thousands of more people across Kitchener-Waterloo Region the opportunity to connect to primary care brings us that much closer to this goal.”

According to the province, Ontario leads the country with nearly 90 per cent of people connected to regular health care.