IPCT Primary Care Expansion (Round 1-April 2025)

Middlesex London – outcome of Round 1 proposal process

A collaborative project to expand access to team-based primary care is the recipient of $5.3M in government funding to attach up to 12,675 people by March 2027. 

Led by the Thames Valley Family Health Team (TVFHT), with support from the Middlesex London Ontario Health Team (MLOHT), and the Middlesex London Primary Care Network (MLPCN), a group of community partners will support the attachment of people living in specific areas. Community partners include:

  • Core London Family Health Organization
  • Forest City Family Health Organization
  • St. Joseph’s Health Care London
  • West Elgin Community Health Centre
  • Southwest Middlesex Health Centre
  • Four Counties Family Health Team
  • Masonville Family Health Organization
  • Dr. Rebecca Whitehead
  • GROW Family Health
  • London Family Health Team

Initial focus

The initial focus will be on the highest number of residents not connected to primary care – including those on the Health Care Connect waitlist – located in the postal codes N5V, N5Y, N6G, N6H, N0M, and N0L. These neighbourhoods are found in London, Middlesex County, Elgin County, and the three First Nations Communities – Chippewa of the Thames First Nation, Munsee-Delaware Nation, and Oneida Nation of the Thames. Currently, close to 41,000 residents in these areas are without a provider.

As part of this initiative, the community partners and their patients will soon be able to access team-based care. This includes interdisciplinary health professionals, such as primary care nurse practitioners, nurses, mental health counsellors, pharmacists, dietitians, respiratory therapists, and occupational therapists.

For more information, contact MLPCN at [email protected].

Background

In April 2025, the Ontario government launched its first call for applications, to create and expand 80 new primary care teams to connect 300,000 more people to primary care in 2025/26. This is part of the more than $1.8 billion the Ontario government is investing to support Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team (PCAT) and their action plan to add 305 new primary care teams across the province, connecting two million more people to a publicly funded primary care within four years.

Round 1 was a targeted call for proposals focused on communities, designated by postal code, who have the highest rate of people not connected to a primary care provider or team, including those on the Health Care Connect waitlist.

For more info:

Town Hall: Middlesex London Primary Care Expansion Q&A with Dr. Gord Schacter, MLOHT Clinical Lead. Recorded April 16, 2025.

Proposal (Round 1) Frequently Asked Questions
What is this funding opportunity (Round 1) announced by the Ontario government to expand primary care teams? 

On April 11, 2025, the Ontario government launched its first call for proposals (‘Round 1’) as part of a $1.8 billion investment to enhance primary care. This initiative aims to create and expand 80 interprofessional primary care teams (IPCTs) to connect an additional 300,000 people to primary care by 2025/26. This Round 1 funding calls for targeted proposals that focus on communities with high rates of unattached individuals identified by specific FSAs (postal codes). Unattached individuals include those on the Health Care Connect waitlist. 

What are the targeted FSAs for Middlesex London? 

Six FSAs were identified as target areas for Round 1 funding under the responsibility of MLOHT and MLPCN. These include N5V, N5Y, N6G, N6H, N0M, and N0L.  

In the Canadian postal code system, FSA stands for Forward Sortation Area. It refers to the first three characters of a postal code (e.g., K1A), which designates a broad geographic region for initial mail sorting. This area can encompass a specific rural region, a city, or a part of a major metropolitan area. 

How were the FSAs designated to the responsibility of the MLOHT/MLPCN? 

Population attribution methodology was used to designate FSAs to OHTs. The first three characters of a postal code (e.g., T1A) identify the FSA. Individuals in the FSA are attributed to an OHT based on where an individual seeks care, rather than where they are geographically located. The six identified FSAs for Middlesex London have the following attribution rates, with the highest for all being to MLOHT explaining its designation.  

  • N0M: 47.5 % of the population are attributed to MLOHT, 37.7% are attributed to HPOHT., 3.7% Sarnia Lambton 
  • N0L: 68.2% MLOHT, 17.3% Elgin 
  • N5V: 85% MLOHT 
  • N5Y: 85% MLOHT 
  • N6G: 84% MLOHT 
  • N6H: 86% MLOHT 

We recognize that this data does not fully capture the complexity of healthcare needs within these communities, and ongoing efforts with Ontario Health are being made to address this in future assessments. 

Who is eligible for this Round 1 funding opportunity in 2025? 

Eligibility for the Round 1 funding opportunity includes primary care practices and organizations that want to create or expand one of the existing team-based models for the targeted FSAs. Eligible models include: 

  • Community Health Centres (CHC) 
  • Family Health Team (FHT) 
  • Indigenous Primary Health Care Organizations (IPHCO) 
  • Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics (NPLC) 

Organizations do not need to be physically located within the identified FSAs to participate, as long as they are committed to serving the populations in the targeted FSAs. 

How can primary care clinicians or organizations apply for this Round 1 funding? What will the process be? 

Primary care practices and clinicians interested in applying for this Round 1 funding initiative should reach out to Dr. Gord Schacter ([email protected]) and/or Trudy Devries [email protected] as soon as possible.  

Individuals expressing interest in this Round 1 funding initiative will be invited to participate in our Collaborative Session(s) taking place on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. These sessions will aim to identify potential opportunities across interested applicants for collaboration, strategic alignment, and strengthening of a collaborative proposal(s) for the targeted FSAs that will be submitted for the May 2nd deadline. Ideally, multiple opportunities will be combined into a proposal (e.g., multiple groups within an FSA will be combined into a proposal rather than one proposal per clinic/FHO) to put forward the most robust and effective strategy for primary care attachment.  

What is the role of the MLOHT and MLPCN in the proposal process? 

The MLOHT and MLPCN will facilitate engagement and coordinate the proposal submission across interested groups. We aim to help interested groups and individuals collaborate and develop a robust, collaborative proposal(s) for the targeted postal codes. We will facilitate collaborative sessions for proposal development and support writing of the proposal application with applicants’ approval of content. We will not be involved in the decision-making process for applications. 

How will Round 1 proposals be assessed by the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health?

Proposals will need to focus on a tangible plan to attach the highest proportion of unattached people in their identified FSAs and align with the three strategic priorities of this funding opportunity: 1) primary care attachment, 2) readiness to implement, and 3) meeting primary care team principles (province-wide, connected, convenient, digitally integrated, equitable, and responsive).  

How many Round 1 proposals can be submitted for Middlesex London? 

A maximum of five proposals can be submitted by MLOHT that support the identified FSAs. MLOHT will encourage collaboration across groups within and across FSAs to provide the most robust strategy and proposal for connecting individuals to a primary care provider. 

If there are more than five proposals being requested for submission, our Access & Attachment Steering Committee will evaluate the applications and make recommendations to our MLOHT Coordinating Council for final approval before submission to Ontario Health. 

What are the timelines for this Round 1 proposal? 

The deadline for Round 1 proposal submissions is 5:00PM EST on May 2nd, 2025. Funding decisions are expected to be made in June, with the goal of implementing successful proposals by July.  

  Will there be additional funding opportunities to come? How can I start preparing? 

This is the first round of a multi-year investment by the Ontario government. A second round of proposal intake and assessment is anticipated to launch in September 2025.  

If you are interested in the anticipated Round 2 of funding, kindly reach out to Dr. Gord Schacter ([email protected]) and/or Trudy Devries [email protected] and we will start working with you to discuss opportunities. 

How can I stay informed about the proposal process and updates? 

You can reach out to [email protected] for any questions. Make sure you have confirmed your MLPCN membership if you are a provider and haven’t already.

Updates will also be shared through special e-blast bulletins and through this dedicated webpage for our primary care network, to stay up to date throughout the Primary Care Expansion process.

Additional Questions about the Primary Care Expansion Process
Can multiple organizations collaborate on a single proposal?

Yes – and it is encouraged! Organizations can collaborate and submit one combined proposal rather than having separate proposals for each FSA or organization. It’s important for groups to reach out and discuss how they can work together within the timelines. Our Collaborative Session(s) held on Tuesday, April 22nd will help facilitate this process. 

Can organizations outside the identified FSAs participate in the proposal submission? 

Yes, organizations do not need to be physically located in the identified FSAs to participate if they intend to provide care to patients residing in those areas. 

What if I am a single member of a Family Health Organization (FHO) and want to participate? 

Individual members can express their interest in participating, but the FHO lead must sign off on the application. Not all members in the FHO need to agree to accept new patients / expand attachment. 

What if only some members of an FHO are in the identified FSAs? 

If only some members of an FHO are located in the designated FSAs, those members can still participate in the funding opportunity. It is important for those physicians to prioritize attaching patients from the designated FSAs in the proposal, even if the clinic is not physically located there.  

Has there been consideration to prioritize physician groups and communities with no team-based funding? 

All groups are encouraged to participate, including those with no existing team-based funding. If your group is interested, please inform the MLOHT/MLPCN to explore how best to include your group in the proposal process. 

Why were specific communities identified within the FSA list on the Ontario government’s call for proposals? 

The communities listed under each FSA are not exhaustive and do not specifically reflect where unattached individuals are located. We do not have population data at a level lower than the FSA. 

Will future rounds of funding focus on different FSAs? 

We do not know the requirements for future rounds of funding; however, we would anticipate other FSAs will come in future calls for applications as the overarching goal is 100% attachment of Ontarians. 

How can proposals include other professionals in supporting new medical homes? 

Proposals can be innovative and include various healthcare professionals with the primary goal of increasing attachment of the population. Team-based care is encouraged, and all providers practicing in a primary care setting are welcome to participate. 

Is there support for capacity building, such as patient flow and quality improvement? 

Yes, applicants can include requests for additional team members to help improve capacity, patient flow, and quality of care as part of their applications. 

Will funding be allocated for infrastructure needs? 

Yes, there is an opportunity to request one-time funding for infrastructure needs, such as renovations or equipment, to support the expansion of services in the application. 

Can funding be used to ensure fair wages for salaried staff? 

While the proposal asks for funding, how it is distributed will be determined by the organization or team. Concerns about recruitment and retention due to wage issues have been noted, and this feedback is being communicated to Ontario Health / Ministry of Health. 

How would a FHO know the best match within the MLOHT/MLPCN for partnership? 

Collaboration and communication with the MLOHT will help identify the most appropriate partners for shared funding proposals.  

Is there a digital plan to integrate MDs/NPs with existing Family Health Teams? 

While MLOHT/MLPCN are exploring a digital strategy, given the short timeline and complexity of this issue, a digital integration plan is not feasible for the first round of funding. 

Is there any plan to attract new physicians to the targeted FSAs? 

Attracting new physicians is an ongoing effort. While immediate recruitment may be challenging for the May 2nd deadline, proposals can include team-based care models that support new physicians and enhance their practice environment. 

With greater access to team-based care across our region, these enhancements may enable greater capacity for impacted family physicians.

Physician Recruitment & Retention continues to be a priority of the MLOHT and MLPCN.

What innovative partnerships can be included in proposals? 

Proposals can include partnerships with various healthcare providers and groups, such as mental health and addiction services, community support services, and community paramedics. The goal is to build a robust team-based care model for this round of proposals that is ready to implement by July 2025 and increases patient attachment. Our Collaborative Session(s) held on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, will help facilitate this process. 

How does this funding initiative address the issue of patients being considered “unattached” when cared for by Nurse Practitioners (NPs)? 

There is current work being done by the Inspire PHC group to add NP data into data modelling for attachment. While NPs cannot be the Most Responsible Provider (MRP) within FHTs, there are collaborative approaches that can be explored in the application process to enhance capacity and patient attachment.