Ottawa Valley health team clears 5,200+ names from primary care waitlist
Skip to ContentNewsLocal NewsProvincialCanadaWorldSpecial-SectionsSportsLocal SportsBaseballBasketballFootballHockeyJunior HockeyCurlingAuto RacingOther SportsEntertainmentLocal. . .
Skip to ContentNewsLocal NewsProvincialCanadaWorldSpecial-SectionsSportsLocal SportsBaseballBasketballFootballHockeyJunior HockeyCurlingAuto RacingOther SportsEntertainmentLocal EntertainmentMoviesMusicTelevisionBooksGamingCelebritiesLifeTravelFoodHealthComicsPuzzlesAdviceOpinionColumnEditorialLettersAll NewspapersAdvertisingAdvertising With UsAdvertising SolutionsPostmedia Ad ManagerSponsorship RequestsClassifiedsObituariesBusiness AdsJobsLives ToldShoppingDrivingOntario FarmerHealthingPuzzmoDiversionsPuzzlesComicsNewslettersProfileSettingsMy SubscriptionsNewslettersCustomer ServiceFAQNewsSportsEntertainmentLifeOpinionAll NewspapersBusiness AdsJobsShoppingDrivingHealthingPuzzmoNewslettersNewsLocal NewsOttawa Valley health team clears 5,200+ names from primary care waitlistRegional health partners celebrate progress while continuing work to connect all residents to primary care by 2029. Published Jul 13, 2026•Last updated 21 minutes ago•2 minute readAccording to the Ottawa Valley Ontario Health Team, all area residents who were on the Ontario Health Care Connect waitlist as of Jan. 1, 2025, now have access to a family doctor or nurse practitioner. Photo by Evgenyi_Eg/Getty ImagesTheOttawa Valley Ontario Health Team(OVOHT) is celebrating a major milestone in its efforts to improve access to primary care across the region after all residents who were on the provincial Health Care Connect waitlist as of Jan. 1, 2025, have now been addressed through the provincial process. According to OVOHT, a total of 5,251 residents who were waiting for access to a family doctor or nurse practitioner have been cleared from the waitlist, marking what the organization describes as an important first step toward its long-term goal of connecting every resident in the region to primary care. Recommended VideosThe achievement comes after a year of collaboration among family physicians, nurse practitioners, primary care teams and health-care organizations across the Ottawa Valley to identify capacity, expand services and connect residents with available care options. “Today, we are celebrating a major milestone, but not the end of the journey,” said Dr. Richard Johnson, director of the Pembroke Family Medicine Teaching Unit and clinical lead for the OVOHT. “This accomplishment reflects what is possible when health care teams and organizations work together with a shared commitment to improving access to care. While we are proud of this achievement, we remain focused on the work ahead to ensure everyone in our region can access the primary care services they need. ”Ottawa Valley health team makes progress on waitlistThousands in Ottawa Valley to be connected to family doctorsAccess to primary care provides residents with ongoing preventive care, support for managing chronic conditions, referrals to specialists and other health services, and the opportunity to build long-term relationships with health-care providers. Among those recently connected to care are Pembroke residents John and Melanie Freeman, a father and daughter who had spent four years searching for ongoing primary care before being matched with a nurse practitioner in April through Health Care Connect. “I was excited. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. It was a wonderful feeling to know that we’re in the system now,” John said. While celebrating the milestone, Freeman also encouraged others still searching for a family doctor or nurse practitioner to remain hopeful. “Be patient. It will come. Have faith in the system. It came through for me, and it will come through for someone else too. ”OVOHT officials say stories such as the Freemans’ demonstrate the impact access to primary care can have on individuals, families and communities. Despite the progress, the organization notes that the need for primary care remains significant. Residents who joined the Health Care Connect waitlist after Jan. 1, 2025, as well as others currently seeking a family doctor or nurse practitioner, remain a priority. The OVOHT said it will continue working with health-care partners across the region to strengthen primary care capacity, improve access to services and work toward its goal of connecting every resident to primary care by 2029. Residents seeking a family doctor or nurse practitioner can register throughHealth Care Connect onlineor by calling 811. Launched in October 2021, the Ottawa Valley Ontario Health Team brings together more than 50 local health professionals, health-care providers, organizations and community members with the goal of improving access to care and creating a more coordinated health-care system across the region. Join the ConversationThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more aboutcookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to ourTerms of UseandPrivacy Policy.