Province introduces new group health model

The following news release was issued today by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care:

***************************************************************** Ernie Eves government introduces new model of physician group practice

TORONTO, April 23 - Ontario, working in partnership with the Ontario Medical Association, has approved a new model of physician group practice, called Family Health Groups (FHGs).

This new model will provide new opportunities for physicians to participate in primary care renewal and will further help in the recruitment and retention of physicians in the province, Health and Long-Term Care Minister Tony Clement and OFHN Chair Dr. Ruth Wilson announced today.

This model will be offered starting in July through the Ontario Family Health Network Agency (OFHN).

"The Ernie Eves government is committed to increasing and improving access to front-line healthcare," Clement said.

"Patients and physicians alike will benefit from this new Family Health Group model that will join a spectrum of practice choices, including the larger Family Health Network model, that is already improving the health services of residents and the quality of work for physicians across Ontario."

Physicians will soon have the option of forming FHGs that will consist of a minimum of three physicians.

This new model provides a transition period for family physicians while registering patients to move toward the more comprehensive Family Health Network model. The FHGs will complement the success of Ontario's FHNs, 55 Community Health Centres, 52 Health Service Organizations and other primary care delivery models.

There are currently 15 FHNs in the province, bringing together 129 physicians in collaborative care. "We are building on the momentum we have experienced to date with a new model tailor-made for smaller groups of physicians who are interested in a new approach to primary care in their communities," Dr. Wilson said.

"Working together, the government and the OMA have designed Family Health Groups in order to provide another option for doctors and their patients to interact as we move forward with primary care renewal," said Dr. Elliot Halparin. Patients enrolled in FHNs and FHGs enjoy an enhanced doctor-patient relationship with an added emphasis on prevention, in a setting with extended hours, making for more flexible access to care.

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