Friday, January 16, 2026 – This week, the Ontario government commemorated its commitment to primary care access, reflecting on progress made one year after the release of the Primary Care Action Plan and announced planning grants for 16 new and expanded primary care teaching clinics. Former Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie also abruptly announced her formal and immediate resignation, accelerating the search for new leadership following a challenging 2025 election cycle. An interim leader is yet to be appointed.
First Year of Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan
It’s been one year since the province announced a $2.1 billion plan to attach 2 million more Ontarians to primary care teams by 2029. Health Minister Sylvia Jones and Dr. Jane Philpott took the podium this week to reflect on progress made on the province’s Primary Care Action Plan.
Results at a Glance
- Patient Attachment: Over 275,000 new patients attached to primary care since January 2025.
- Waitlist Reduction: The Health Care Connect waitlist has been reduced by more than 75% since January 1, 2025.
- Workforce Growth: Accelerated licensure attracted over 1,700 new nurses and 450 doctors to Ontario this year alone.
- Future Target: The government aims to connect an additional 500,000 people in 2026-27 via approximately 75 new and expanded teams.
The Expansion of Teaching Clinics
The Ministry of Health also released the postsecondary sponsors and locations of 16 new and expanded primary care teaching clinics. The new clinics are each receiving $500,000 for a total investment of $8 million in planning grants. These clinics pair medical residents with interprofessional primary care teams, including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and registered nurses, to help attract more physicians to primary care.
Santis Insights
- Early Momentum, Slow Structural Change: The government can credibly point to early momentum on attachment and workforce flow, but the evidence that the expansion plans are driving structural growth in team-based primary care remains mixed. Much of the reported progress reflects backlog reduction, system churn, and short-term levers, rather than the sustained creation of new capacity.
- Persistent Challenges: What remains largely unresolved are ongoing issues with recruitment and retention related to compensation, workload sustainability, and practice viability for many existing primary care teams. 2025 data also indicates that while there may be more family doctors trained, not all are staying in the profession.
- Running the Marathon: There’s still a lot of ground to cover to reach 2 million Ontarians by 2029, including rising to larger annual targets each year over the next four years. Focusing on recruitment and retention will be key to preserving existing gains, while pushing on with sustainable expansion.
- What’s Next: A new call for proposals for another 75 primary care teams is expected later this year aimed at attaching another 500,000 patients.
Liberal Leadership Accelerates
Bonnie Crombie’s immediate resignation this week marks a departure from her earlier pledge to remain until a successor was chosen. Crombie received 57% in her leadership review earlier this year. While she regained official party status for the Liberals (14 seats) in the last election, the failure to win her own seat and the party’s lack of progress in the Greater Toronto Area (particularly Mississauga, where Crombie was formerly Mayor for almost 10 years) have led to inside pressures for her to step aside.
The roster of candidates most likely to replace her or who are actively contemplating a bid includes:
- Nate Erskine-Smith: As the runner-up in the 2023 Ontario Liberal leadership race and a former federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, he has existing campaign infrastructure to support his run, but is viewed as a maverick by some party brass.
- MPP Lee Fairclough: The newly elected member for Etobicoke—Lakeshore and former health care CEO unseated a sitting PC MPP in Ford Nation and brings leadership chops and a firsthand understanding of one of the top-cited issues for Ontarians.
- MPP Rob Cerjanec: The Ajax representative and former business consultant has indicated that he is seriously considering running for leadership and has been notably travelling across the province to win support.
- Vikram Handa: A human rights lawyer who sought the federal Liberal Davenport nomination in 2015, aiming to bring a fresh perspective as a provincial party outsider.
- Mike Crawley: The former president of the Liberal Party of Canada and a senior energy-sector executive is said to be contemplating a bid to lead the provincial Liberals, bringing decades of experience in the business sector to the party. (Not to be confused with the venerable Mike Crawley, the former CBC Queen’s Park Bureau Chief).
- MPP Dr. Adil Shamji: The MPP for Don Valley East is an emergency physician who ran for Liberal leadership in 2023 and has been the fiery health critic for the Ontario Liberals in opposition. Shamji eventually backed out to support Bonnie Crombie.
Though rumours abounded in previous months, Hon. Karina Gould and MPP Ted Hsu have officially declined to run for leadership.
Santis Insights
Bonnie Crombie’s departure leaves the Ontario Liberals in a precarious, but potentially opportunistic position. The party now has official status but lacks a clear voice. Potential successors could spark a debate on whether the party should tack back to the centre or move back further to the left.
What Happens Next
Interim and Permanent Leader: Kathryn McGarry, President of the Ontario Liberal Party, thanked Bonnie Crombie for her leadership and services. The Ontario Liberal Party will select an interim leader to serve until a permanent leader is chosen. Although no announcement has been made, MPP John Fraser, Liberal Leader in the Legislature, is a likely candidate as he has held the position previously. The Liberal Party’s Executive Council is currently working on the details of the upcoming leadership election and are expecting to announce the date soon, according to McGarry.
Further Reading & Contact
- Ontario Newsroom: One Year Milestone in Primary Care Action Plan
- Ontario Newsroom: 16 New Teaching Clinics Announced
- Bonnie Crombie Decides to Step Down as Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party
Interested in how these primary care shifts impact your organization? Contact our Government Affairs Experts:
Clare Michaels – clare.michaels@santishealth.ca
Nabiha Paracha – nabiha.paracha@santishealth.ca
Dylan Brenneman – dylan.brenneman@santishealth.