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Dear Executive Directors, Board Chairs, and Lead Clinicians,

I’m pleased to share important news that aligns with our shared mission to strengthen and expand access to comprehensive, team-based primary care.

This morning, the Government of Ontario announced a new Call for Proposals for Interprofessional Primary Care Teams, as part of its plan to connect up to 300,000 more people to a primary care provider or team this year. This is the most significant expansion of interprofessional primary care in years, and a critical opportunity for AFHTO members to grow and collaborate.

Full call details are available here:

Call for Proposals: Interprofessional Primary Care Teams

News release:

Ontario Connecting 300,000 More People to a Family Doctor and Primary Care Teams

You will find below a quick summary of the call. 

HHR and Operations

• The announcement includes mention of operational increases. We have confirmed that this DOES INCLUDE ALL TEAMS for an operational increase.
• We continue to advocate as the strongest ask for HHR investment to the current sector as base funding. One of our members did receive a follow up call from Minister Jones indicating that she is aware of and recognizes the importance of addressing recruitment and retention funding for current as well as expanded teams. This gives us some wind in our sails. Please continue your regional advocacy work as well. We will be sending out a separate email to mobilize everyone to keep the strong message at the forefront.
• We understand that many of our members may not wish to participate in this call. We would still encourage you to stay at the table so that your primary care needs are surfaced, expressed and ideally addressed. 

How AFHTO Will Continue to Support Members

AFHTO is committed to supporting you throughout this process and is actively working with Ontario Health to address challenges and ensure clarity for all applicants. Specifically, AFHTO will:

• Raise concerns about the aggressive proposal timeline, especially given the complexity of forming new partnerships and gathering required documentation.
• Work with Ontario Health to correct errors in the current documentation, including instances where certain teams have been mistakenly tied to the wrong OHT in the call for proposals.
• Seek clarification for teams not explicitly named in the call but operating within the relevant FSAs or postal codes of concern, ensuring these teams understand how to proceed and how to align with the intent of the funding.
• Develop a comprehensive Q and A document for teams who will be applying

In addition, AFHTO will:

• Share tools, templates, and resources to support proposal development
• Facilitate connections between teams and potential partners, and OHTs where necessary
• Help coordinate peer learning and model proposal sharing
• Advocate for funding models that are flexible, sustainable, and grounded in local realities

Upcoming Webinars

To support applicants, two information sessions are being offered:

1. Ontario Health Interprofessional Primary Care Team Expansion Update  – official walk-through of the announcement: The Ministry of Health is pleased to invite you to join an upcoming webinar on Interprofessional Primary Care Team Expansion.  

The Honourable Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Philpott, Chair of the Primary Care Action Team, and others will provide an update on the Primary Care Action Plan and the first call for proposals for the expansion of interprofessional primary care teams.  

The webinar is scheduled for Tomorrow: Friday, April 11 at 8:30 AM.  

Please use this link to join the Zoom webinar (please note: no pre-registration is required).

Please forward this invitation to primary care clinicians and organizations, members of your OHT and PCN, and others who may be interested. We encourage all AFHTO members to attend this session if possible.

Next Steps

We strongly encourage all AFHTO members to review the call and consider how you might respond, whether through expanding your team or partnering with others to establish new models of care.

If you have any questions or require support, please reach out to me directly at michael.scarpitti@afhto.ca. 

Overview of the Call for Proposals

• The Ministry aims to fund proposals that will meaningfully increase access to team-based primary care, especially for:
• People without a family doctor or regular provider
• Rural, remote, and northern communities
• Underserved and equity-deserving populations

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include:

• Existing interprofessional primary care teams (FHTs, CHCs, AHACs, NPLCs)
• Newly forming teams (partnerships of local providers and organizations)
• Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) working in collaboration with primary care partners

As part of the application, applicants must:

• Work with their OHT to develop the proposal – OHTs are the quarterbacks on ALL proposals. Only 1 proposal / FSA (postal code group) will be permitted and a max of 5 proposals per any one OHT.
• Demonstrate community need through population health data
• Show meaningful engagement with partners and underserved populations
• Identify existing gaps and propose realistic solutions
• Align proposals with broader system goals and health transformation priorities

Key Priorities & System Alignment

Proposals should advance the following goals:

• Attach more Ontarians to a regular provider
• Promote health equity by addressing systemic barriers to care
• Leverage team members working to full scope and full potential
• Improve integration across primary care, hospital, mental health, and community services
• Align with Ontario Health and Ontario Health Team planning

Timelines

• Call Launch: April 10, 2025
• Proposal Deadline: May 2, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. (EDT)
• Decisions Announced: Summer 2025
• Next Round of Call for Proposals: September 2025

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit:

• A business case including a clear budget and service delivery plan
• A detailed population health and equity analysis
• Evidence of partnerships with local stakeholders (e.g., municipalities, hospitals, mental health organizations, Indigenous or Francophone groups)
• Governance and accountability structures that ensure strong leadership and integration

 

Sincerely,

Michael Scarpitti

Director, Strategic Communications and Government Relations

Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO)