Monday, June 23, 2025 – Ontario’s Minister of Health, Sylvia Jones, alongside Primary Care Action Team (PCAT) chair, Dr. Jane Philpott, announced the launch of 130 new and expanded primary care teams at Flemingdon Health Centre in Toronto. These teams were chosen from applications submitted during the first call for proposals earlier this spring and are expected to accept new patients in the coming months.
Looking ahead, Dr. Philpott confirmed a second call for proposals is expected in September 2025. While the initial call prioritized communities with the highest number of unattached individuals, the second round is expected to have a broader focus. The government had targeted creating another 73 primary care teams to attach another 500,000 Ontarians in 2026-27.
Today’s announcement is part of Ontario’s $2.1 billion investment in strengthening primary care as announced in the 2025 Ontario Budget. In 2025-26, $235 million will be used towards supporting the new and expanded 130 teams. The government has also earmarked $142 million in operational funding to be allocated over three years to support the recruitment and retention of physicians and other health care workers within the existing primary care network.
Santis Insights
The launch of the 130 new and expanded primary care teams marks a tangible step forward in Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan. With this announcement, the government is going to surpass its 2025-26 target of 300,000 new patient attachments and 76 new primary care teams. Notably, it showcases the government’s firm commitment to timelines to reach its goal of attaching two million more Ontarians by 2029 (ahead of the next provincial election). It’s also a reward for first round applicants who were asked to act quickly, and an important signal ahead of the second round to those still mulling whether or not to open a new clinic or expand an existing one.
In the short term, this expansion should alleviate pressures in high-need communities and improve access to care. However, the true impact will be highly dependent on implementation (i.e. the devil is in the details). There are many other metrics to track access and quality of care, besides patient attachment to a primary care team. System partners will be watching closely to see how well teams are resourced, integrated and supported through the rollout, particularly as the demand for team-based care continues to rise.
Workforce availability remains the biggest challenge. The province’s commitment of $142 million towards stabilization, recruitment and retention is a positive signal, especially for providers who struggled to staff teams during the previous expansion in 2024. Allowing the funding to be spread over three years, and to extend funding to non-physician team members like nurses, physician assistants, and pharmacists, will improve confidence in retention and recruitment and support long-term sustainability.
For applicants not included or unsuccessful in the first round, the second call for proposals in September 2025 presents a key opportunity. While the first round focused on high-need areas with strong readiness, the second round is anticipated to broaden eligibility, allowing for more innovative models and diverse geographic representation. Funding for the second round is likely to flow in the next fiscal year, meaning organizations may have time to develop thoughtful proposals and learn from the execution of the first round. For those considering applying, this is the time to strengthen partnerships (especially with Ontario Health Teams), refine team design, and position themselves for success.
From a system perspective, the government’s focus on urgent needs, readiness and equity in the first round is designed to generate early results in access and data. While this will give the province some positive results to demonstrate success, the expectations for Ontario’s expanded primary care initiative is high, and long-term progress will depend on an ability to balance scale and strategy.
Further Reading
Read today’s official news release here.
Read the Primary Care Act, 2025 here.
Read the official news release for Round One here.
Read the original Primary Care Action Plan announcement here.