Appropriateness and accessibility are two important elements in an effective health care system. Over the past several years in Ontario, an effort has been made at many levels to transform the health care system to enable a greater focus on the elements of improved patient experience, improved patient and population outcomes and, improved system value and efficiency. The need for better population-based planning and care delivery organized around meeting the needs of a whole population has become more urgent.
With access to health care in rural communities a known challenge, this commentary, by Northern Policy Institute, outlines the primary care landscape in Northern Ontario and Ontario, as well as two different potential models of care delivery. Integration of Care in Northern Ontario: Patient Medical Homes, Rural Health Hubs and Evolving Ontario Health Teams was written by Dr. Sarah-Lynn Newbery, Chief of Staff at the North of Superior Health Care Group, and Josée Malette, 4th-year medical student at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine for publication also in Canadian Journal of Rural Medicine.