Ontario Connecting 4,397 More People to Primary Care in Thornhill

May 1, 2026

$1,901,200 investment brings the province one step closer to connecting everyone in Ontario to primary care by 2029

THORNHILL — 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.

As part of this plan to connect everyone in Ontario to a publicly funded family doctor or primary
care team, the Ontario government is investing $1,901,200 this year to connect up to 4397
people to primary care in Thornhill.

“This is an exciting day for everyone in Thornhill because the new Thornhill Community Health
Centre will strengthen primary care for our entire community with an important focus on our
most vulnerable,” said Laura Smith, MPP for Thornhill. “The new clinic will be located in the
Promenade Mall which will make it easy for patients to access their appointments. Our
government remains committed to building a more responsive, accessible system that helps
patients and families to connect to care, closer to home.”

The Thornhill Community Health Centre is a joint initiative by Reena and Concord Family Health
that will provide a fully accessible primary care hub in Thornhill. It will focus on people with
intellectual and developmental disabilities, neurodiverse needs, seniors, and newcomers facing
barriers to care. The clinic will fill this gap through an inclusive, community-governed model
embedding accessibility and developmental disability expertise. The clinic will also establish a
process to accept new patients and will communicate this to their local community.

The Thornhill Community Health Centre was funded through the latest call for proposals under the Primary Care Action Plan, with all 124 teams receiving funding expected to connect another 500,000 patients to primary care across Ontario. Each team has established a plan to attach a high proportion of unattached people in their community, including those on the Health Care Connect waitlist.

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.

“On behalf of Reena, I want to express our sincere gratitude to MPP Laura Smith, the
Government of Ontario, the Honourable Sylvia Jones, Minister of Health and the Honourable
Michael Parsa Minister of children, Community and social Services for their generous support
and partnership in bringing the Thornhill Community Health Centre – A Reena Initiative to life,”
said Bryan Keshen, CEO of Reena. “This investment will help create a welcoming, accessible
and community-based health home for people who too often face barriers to care, including
individuals with developmental disabilities, seniors, neurodivergent people and those without a
primary care provider. Grounded in the Jewish values that guide Reena’s work — Pikuach
Nefesh, the protection of life; Kavod Habriyot, the dignity of every person; and Arevut, our
shared responsibility for one another — this funding will allow us to care for the vulnerable,
strengthen families and build a healthier, more inclusive Thornhill community.”

“As we prepare to open the Thornhill Community Health Centre, our vision is to create more
than just a clinic—we are building a community of care,” said Dr. Michael Surkont, medical
director, Concord Family Health. “In partnership with organizations like Reena and alongside a
dedicated network of health professionals, we are committed to delivering accessible,
specialized services to those who need them most. With the support of the provincial
government—including Premier Doug Ford, Sylvia Jones, Stephen Lecce, and Laura Smith—
we are proud to help advance a model of care that ensures vulnerable and at-risk populations
receive compassionate, coordinated support from day one.”

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 Thornhill, our government is taking
the next step toward connecting everyone in the province to primary care by 2029.”

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.

QUICK FACTS

Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team is drawing on best-in-class models of care to implement its action plan, supported by the government’s investment of more than $3.4 billion to connect approximately two million more people to primary care by 2029, which will achieve the government’s goal of connecting everyone in the province to primary care.
The government is making significant progress on its goal of clearing the Health Care Connect waitlist as of January 1, 2025. That waitlist has been reduced by more than 87 per cent as the plan continues to hit its targets and deliver faster access to high-quality care.
Ontarians looking to find a family doctor or nurse practitioner can register with Health Care Connect or call 811.
Interprofessional primary care teams connect people to a range of health professionals that work together under one roof, including family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, registered practical nurses, physician assistants, physiotherapists, social workers, dieticians and pharmacists, helping patients to receive more connected and convenient care.
Since 2018, Ontario has added nearly 20,000 additional physicians to its health-care workforce, including an over 14 per cent increase in family doctors.

QUOTES

“Better healthcare, closer to home is anchored in our plan to connect every Vaughan
family to a family doctor. Our government delivered the state-of-the-art Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, and is funding the York University School of Medicine – Canada’s first medical school focused on training family doctors, being built in Vaughan. We are building upon this momentum as I join MPP Smith to further connect over 4,000 residents — including many in Maple and Thornhill — to Primary Care. Another achievement with MPP Smith, as we work together to keep our streets safe, taxes down, and families healthy and strong.”

– Stephen Lecce
MPP for King—Vaughan

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MEDIA CONTACTS
Micah Dodo
Office of MPP Laura Smith
Micah.dodo@pc.ola.org