Espanola, ON – The Espanola Family Health Team is proud to announce a significant achievement in improving access to primary care for residents in the Espanola area.
As part of a province-wide initiative led by Ontario's Primary Care Action Team, Ontario Health Teams were tasked with connecting all individuals who were registered on the Health Care Connect waitlist prior to January 2025 with a primary care provider or team.
Through the dedicated efforts of the Espanola Family Health Team's Primary Care Access Clinic, and in collaboration with healthcare partners across the region, 151 new patients were successfully rostered to the Espanola Family Health Team, ensuring they now have access to ongoing primary care services.
This milestone supports the province's goal of connecting every person in Ontario to timely, comprehensive, and coordinated primary care by 2029.
"Ensuring residents have access to a primary care provider is one of the most important steps in supporting healthier communities," said the Espanola Family Health Team. "We are incredibly proud of our team and grateful to our healthcare partners whose collaboration made it possible to connect 151 individuals to ongoing primary care services. This milestone reflects our commitment to improving healthcare access for the people we serve.
Recognizing the Team Behind the Success
The Espanola Family Health Team would like to recognize the dedicated staff members whose efforts were instrumental in achieving this milestone.
At the forefront of this work was the Primary Care Access Clinic, led by:
- Chelsey Sisson, RN, Clinical Lead
- Jennifer Clement, Nurse Practitioner
- Kelly Joyce, Medical Receptionist
Together, this core team coordinated patient outreach, assessments, intake processes, and attachments, helping connect residents to the primary care services they need.
The Family Health Team would also like to acknowledge the nursing staff who supported patient intakes and attachment efforts throughout the initiative:
- Jamie Bucknell, RN
- Sandra Camillo, RN
- Jennifer Burden, RN
- Kaylee Arbour, RPN
- Shannon Gagné, RPN
- Nicole Erben, RPN
- Erin Neufeld, NP
In addition, the Family Health Team extends its sincere appreciation to Dr. McMillan, Dr. Perlin, and Dr. Bignucolo, whose commitment to accepting and attaching patients played a critical role in increasing access to primary care for community members.
This achievement reflects the collaborative work of clinicians, nurses, physicians, and administrative staff who came together with a shared goal of improving access to care for residents across the Espanola area.
Media Contact:
Espanola Regional Hospital and Health Centre
Katie Cooper