TORONTO – The McGuinty government is providing better access to better health care in Hamilton with the creation of a network of Family Health Teams throughout the city, part of the 52 Family Health Teams and three networks of Family Health Teams approved province-wide, Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman announced today.

Family Health Teams (FHTs) include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners and other health care professionals working together to provide comprehensive care day and night, seven days a week. This includes access by phone to a registered nurse. Physicians working in an inter-disciplinary team model can care for up to 52 per cent more patients than those working in a solo practice.

"We're changing the way health care is delivered in Hamilton by making it more responsive to the needs of the community," said Smitherman. "More patients in this city will now have access to a family doctor and health team of their own to help keep them healthy and treat them when they get sick."

Smitherman made the announcement at the Stoney Creek and Hamilton Mountain FHT, which will be part of the network of teams delivering care to patients in Hamilton. The other two networks will be located in Peterborough and Barrie.

"This initiative has been very well-received across the province," said Smitherman. "In fact, enthusiasm is so strong right here in Hamilton that several FHTs will band together in a network of FHTs. These teams will work together to best meet the needs of patients in their community."

Thirty-five of the new FHTs will be located in communities designated as underserviced with respect to family physicians.

"What this means is that thousands of so-called orphan patients, who do not have access to the most basic health care, will soon be receiving treatment not only from a doctor but from a whole team of dedicated health care professionals," said Smitherman.

"Moving forward with the first wave of Family Health Teams is an important step toward improving access to primary health care for Ontarians in their communities," said Roger Anderson, President, Association of Municipalities of Ontario. "We are encouraged by the overwhelming interest from doctors and practitioners across the province in forming collaborative community primary health care teams and we hope that our communities will truly benefit from this in the near future."

Today's announcement is part of the McGuinty government's comprehensive plan to improve health care in Ontario. It's a plan that includes creating Family Health Teams, reducing wait times for key procedures, increasing the number of doctors and nurses, and investing heavily in community-based health care services to ease the pressure on hospitals and deliver health care where patients need it most – closer to home.

For further information :

Members of the general public : (416) 327-4327, or (800) 268-1154

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