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There are many different organizations that are involved in making sure that people living in Ontario are getting the best primary care possible.
What is primary care?
Primary care is the day-to-day healthcare given to you by a healthcare provider like a family doctor and his or her team of health care workers, a community health center, or a public health nurse. If you have a health problem, a primary care provider is usually the first place you should go for help. Primary care providers can help you with many health problems, and will connect you other parts of the health care system (such as a specialist or hospital) when needed.
Primary care organizations
Many different organizations make up the primary health care system in Ontario. These organizations are listed below.
City Wide:
The Hamilton Family Health Team - this is us! We are a group of family doctors and other health care workers (such as dietitians, mental health counsellors and pharmacists) that work together to help you with your health problems. Visit our Who We Are page for more information.
The McMaster Family Health Team is similar to the Hamilton Family Health Team. Also located in Hamilton, this is a group of family doctors and other health care providers that work together to help you with your health problems. The McMaster Family Health Team is called an "academic" health team, and works very closely with McMaster University to train new doctors and do research on primary care in Hamilton and surrounding area.
The Hamilton Academy of Medicine is a network for all doctors in the Hamilton area - including family doctors, whether they are part of a Family Health Team or not.
The City of Hamilton also has a Public Health Department. The goal of public health is to help people in Hamilton stay healthy and live longer lives by offering many different health care services, supports and activities in the community.
Region Wide:
Ontario is made up of 14 Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs). LHINs do not provide health care services; instead, they make sure that Ontarians are getting right care in the right place at the right time by making decisions about how government health care dollars are spent. Health care services in Southern Ontario are funded and organized by the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant (HNHB) LHIN.
The Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) is one way that the LHIN organizes and funds health care. The CCAC helps people get care in their homes and in the community. Most people who receive health care from the CCAC are recovering at home from a stay in hospital and/or have a health care problem that can be looked after in the home.
Province Wide:
The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) is in charge of the organization and funding of all health care services in the whole province. The MOHLTC guides each of the 14 LHINs in the delivery of health care and the spending of your tax dollars.
All Family Health teams in the province are part of the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO). This organization helps Family Health Teams be the best they can be by helping teams share information and work together. To learn more about Family Health Teams visit - Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO).
Health Care Connect is an organization that helps Ontarians find a family doctor or nurse practitioner in their community.
Telehealth Ontario is a trusted phone number you can call and speak to a Registered Nurse for advice about a health problem you may be having. It is a good idea to call Telehealth if you are not able to reach your family doctor, do not have a family doctor, or do not know where to go for help.
All doctors in Ontario belong to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). This organization is responsible for making sure that doctors are licensed to practice medicine in Ontario and investigates complaints about doctors.
Many doctors choose to be a part of the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) which offers education and professional development, as well as recognizing family doctors who are achieving excellence.