New downtown Toronto clinic may be future of primary care
A new health clinic in downtown Toronto may be the future model of primary healthcare.
The Telus Health MyCare Union clinic, a publicly-funded medical centre with no out-of-pocket fees, offers traditional in-person care with a technological twist: the option of virtual appointments via video on patients' phones.
The clinic is accepting thousands of new patients from the city as well as people who are employed downtown but travel long distances for work.
There are plans for future expansion in a city where approximately half a million residents don't have a family physician.
Dr. Alissia Valentinis, Telus Health's senior medical director, said this model could and should be the future of primary care in Ontario.
'When we started this clinic, our goal of course was to help increase accessibility and care to many Ontario and Toronto patients as we could,' she said.
'But we also wanted to ensure we started off on the right foot with our physicians, make sure that we were setting up an environment for them to be able to thrive and not get burnt out so that they can continue to enjoy doing the work of practicing family medicine.'
According to the Ontario Medical Association (OMA), family doctors spend 19 hours a week on administrative tasks, including four hours writing notes or completing forms for patients.
Dr. Valentinis said that work has been cut down by the use of technology. Doctors at the clinic can use AI Scribe, an artificial intelligence program that summarizes medical notes from real-time conversations between physicians and patients.
'The physician can actually just focus on the patient and watch the patient and not have to keep (their) eyes on the computer. Our physicians have said this has been revolutionary for them in terms of alleviating a lot of the administrative burden.'
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Across the province, the numbers are dire when it comes to residents without a primary care physician.
The OMA says there are at least 2.5 million people not attached to a family doctor. They warn that number may climb to 4.4 million in a year due to retirements and changing careers.
However, in late January, Sylvia Jones, Ontario's deputy premier and health minister, announced $1.4 billion in new funding to connect more than two million residents with a family doctor or primary care team within the next four years. The province had earlier earmarked more than $400 million in funding for primary care.
Since opening in July 2024 when unused office space was converted into a medical facility inside the Telus building on York St. near Scotiabank Arena, Dr. Valentinis said the clinic has already accepted 3,807 new patients as of last week and has room for at least 2,200 more.
Six physicians are currently employed at the clinic and growing their practices, she said, adding Telus Health is working to expand by adding more doctors to the clinic.
For Dr. Valentinis, new patients have been 'overwhelmingly positive' about the clinic's accessibility and flexibility.
'Many of the patients that we are seeing have been waiting for years on various wait lists, have been going to walk-in clinics or emergency rooms to get their health care. They are so grateful to have their very own family physician.'
Several months after opening, Dr. Valentinis said a large number of patients have been referrals.
'Friends, family, grandparents, children of current patients that are just raving about having their own family doctor.'
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Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Need a family doctor? Six tips from physicians for finding one in Ontario
Ontario is facing a family doctor crisis . An ongoing and worsening shortage of family physicians has contributed to ballooning emergency rooms and poorer health outcomes for millions of Ontarians, experts say. It has even led hundreds of people to queue for hours in the cold just for the chance to secure a doctor. Burnout, disrespect, and even violence made it too hard to continue doing the thing I love. Burnout, disrespect, and even violence made it too hard to continue doing the thing I love. 'By the end of this year, 25 per cent of all Ontarians won't have access to a regular family doctor,' Dr. Zainab Abdurrahman, president of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA), told the Star. That's up from the roughly 15 per cent of residents — some 2.5 million people — without a doctor last July . The factors behind the shortage are numerous, from a crushing administrative burden that can see doctors spend 19 hours a week on paperwork alone, to stagnant compensation that has fallen well behind inflation, Abdurrahman said. 'When you look at all these factors, it's really difficult to imagine someone opening up a new practice in comprehensive family medicine. It's just not viable as a plan to move forward right now,' she said. The province has pledged to connect every Ontarian to a primary care provider by 2029 — and is investing $2.1 billion to get it done, said Ema Popovic, press secretary to Sylvia Jones, Ontario's Minister of Health. 'Ontario is proud to lead the country with the highest rate of people with a primary care provider,' she told the Star. The province has added over 15,000 new doctors since 2018, and is currently undertaking the largest medical school expansion in its history. Yet there are still too few physicians to go around. 'The mathematics are certainly against people trying to find a family doctor,' said Dr. Cathy Risdon, a family doctor, professor and chair of McMaster University's Department of Family Medicine. 'There is no one easy answer to this and there's no guarantee that any strategy is going to really be satisfying or successful,' she told the Star. But the following methods will raise your odds of success. With a third of Orillia residents lacking a doctor, the mayor launched a plan to recruit MDs and pay them as employees. 'We can put skin in the game.' With a third of Orillia residents lacking a doctor, the mayor launched a plan to recruit MDs and pay them as employees. 'We can put skin in the game.' Risdon recommends first registering with Health Care Connect . This provincial program matches people in search of a physician with doctors looking for new patients, although it is currently 'under tremendous strain because we don't have enough family doctors,' Risdon said. People can register for the service through its website or by calling 1-800-445-1822 or 8-1-1. The average wait time for the program to connect you with a doctor is 90 days, Popovic said. The program has promised to connect everyone who has been on the wait-list since Jan. 1, 2025 with a family doctor or nurse practitioner by Spring 2026. While you're waiting, scan the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO)'s physician register . While this list doesn't denote whether doctors are accepting new patients, its 'advanced search' function can help to find family doctors who speak a certain language or are near a specific location, Risdon said. 'Occasionally, people may have a cultural or linguistic background that requires specialized service,' Risdon said. 'Doctors with that expertise (like speaking a certain language) will often prioritize patients that they know they can uniquely serve.' For those having difficulty navigating CPSO's physician search, provides a more accessible, interactive map of physicians across Ontario, as well as their addresses and contact information. Users can search by medical specialty, language proficiency and gender identity. While the map doesn't show family doctors accepting new patients, physicians often keep wait-lists of people who requested to be patients, said Dr. Lise Bjerre, a family physician and the chair of family medicine at the University of Ottawa, whose team developed the tool. In fear of getting de-rostered, some patients have resorted to visiting ERs for non-emergency care when their family doctors aren't available. In fear of getting de-rostered, some patients have resorted to visiting ERs for non-emergency care when their family doctors aren't available. Ask your hospital whether any of its physicians are accepting new patients. Many walk-in clinics also have physicians looking to build their own practice and are trying to find new patients, Risdon said. 'Keep an eye out for signs saying 'accepting new patients,'' she continued. 'There's a surprising number of them in some communities.' Clinics and hospitals may also refer you to outside physicians they know are looking for new patients, she said. If your community has an affiliation with a medical school, you might be able to attach yourself to a doctor-in-training, Risdon said. 'All of our schools have teaching clinics that train future family doctors,' she said. 'In some of those clinics, patients can attach themselves to a new resident in their first year, who will look after them with supervision while they're training.' When these doctors graduate and establish their own practices, they often take their training patients with them. Finally, check if you're within the area or demographic of your local community health centre (CHC). 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This trend is echoed in Ontario, with large swathes of rural northern Ontario averaging one or fewer physicians per 1,000 people. Urban sectors, including the Greater Toronto Area, tended to average between one to two doctors for every thousand residents. The only area with more than 10 doctors for every 1,000 residents is the rural community of Sioux Lookout in northwestern Ontario. Ontario has an average 2.8 physicians per 1,000 people, according to 2024 numbers from the OMA — the same as the Canadian average in 2022, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In comparison, OECD member states averaged 3.7 physicians per 1,000 in 2021, with countries such as Norway, Austria and Portugal surpassing five doctors per thousand. If you don't have a family doctor and are experiencing mild, common symptoms, consider stopping by a pharmacist, Bjerre and Risdon recommend. Ontario pharmacists have the power to prescribe medications for certain common ailments, and can also renew medications. The next step is to seek out a walk-in clinic, urgent care (for serious but non-life threatening matters) or the emergency room (for urgent issues like difficulty breathing or loss of consciousness). Patients can now see an array of doctors without leaving their recliner thanks to telemedicine. But that doesn't mean trips to the office should end. Patients can now see an array of doctors without leaving their recliner thanks to telemedicine. But that doesn't mean trips to the office should end. Unfortunately, all three can be associated with 'very long waits,' Risdon said. 'People are often asked to share only one problem and anything that has a bit more complexity … is really, really hard to achieve in many of those settings.' The last option is to rely on telehealth and virtual care — services that can be expensive and are not always publicly funded, Risdon continued. Bjerre recommended four trusted online resources that provide health information. These include: icanbewell , an app offering preventive health advice that Bjerre said was vetted by the College of Family Physicians of Canada; Unlock Food , a Dietitians of Canada-backed resource for healthy eating; Sex & U , an initiative answering questions about sex and sexuality from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada; and Caring for Kids , a parent-centric health resource from the Canadian Paediatric Society. 'The province is investing significant resources in expanding access to care. There have been new spots opened up in medical schools … and fast tracking for internationally-trained family physicians,' Bjerre said. 'The expectation is that over time, access will improve.' This article was updated from a previous version that misspelled Dr. Cathy Risdon's surname.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Introducing the TELUS Mental Health Index: Nearly half of employees in South Korea experiencing feelings of depression and anxiety, impacting workplace productivity
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Read the full South Korean TELUS Mental Health Index here. As the parent company of TELUS Health, TELUS is committed to supporting the wellbeing of its own team members and their families through a flexible, comprehensive strategy. This approach is powered by the same innovative TELUS Health solutions trusted by Fortune 500 companies and has demonstrated real-world impact, with TELUS achieving a more than 20 per cent reduction in mental health disability claims among its own team members. Note to Editors For further information on the TELUS Mental Health Index, or to find out more about the methodology, please visit: About the TELUS Mental Health Index The research report is conducted globally to examine the mental health of employed people in New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Europe. The data for the TELUS Health Mental Health Index was collected through an online survey between March 14 and March 27, 2025, with 1,000 respondents. All respondents reside in South Korea and were employed within the last six months. The data has been statistically weighted to ensure the regional and gender composition of the sample reflects this population. About EZNwellness EZNwellness, a TELUS Health Company, is the leading employee assistance program (EAP) provider in South Korea. Founded in 2015 and based in Seoul, South Korea, EZNwellness provides EAP, digital mental health and psychological experience-based exhibition space. EZNwellness enhances traditional face-to-face EAP services by integrating diverse content, professional consulting at the organizational level, and digital innovations for seamless connection. This approach enables EZNwellness to deliver more comprehensive and effective EAP solutions tailored to modern workplace needs. For more information please visit: About TELUS HealthTELUS Health is on a mission to become the most trusted wellbeing company in the world by enhancing the overall efficiency of healthcare and championing workplace wellbeing. By integrating advanced healthcare technology with comprehensive employee support services, TELUS Health provides a holistic approach to primary and preventive health and wellbeing enhancing more than 150 million lives across more than 200 countries and territories. Our innovative digital health platforms, including electronic medical records (EMRs) and virtual care solutions, empower healthcare professionals, employers and governments to deliver personalized care efficiently. Our employee wellbeing programs empower individuals by offering extensive support through Employee and Family Assistance Programs (EFAPs), mental health resources, financial counselling and workplace wellness initiatives. At TELUS Health, we are committed to revolutionizing healthcare to ensure people receive the support they need and employees thrive both personally and professionally. Together, let's make the future friendly. For more information please visit: Media Contact: The PR Group telushealth@ Logo - Logo - View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE TELUS Health; TELUS Communications Inc.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
The Smartest Blue-Chip Stock to Buy With $3,500 Right Now
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