As of
January 2024, the government of Ontario in partnership with Ontario Health approved the
58th Ontario Health Team, completing full provincial coverage and ensuring every part of Ontario is served by an OHT These teams are composed of diverse care providers—such as hospitals, primary care physicians, home and community care providers, mental health and addictions services, long-term care homes, and more—working collaboratively as a unified network
Role OHTs are voluntary collaborations between health service providers. In their applications for designation as OHT’s, the potential teams must describe how they will integrate services for a regional population and how they will ensure “warm handovers” for patients making transitions in the system. Ontario Health Teams continue to provide: •
Integrated patient care networks: sharing a unified record and care plan. •
Patient navigation: including online and 24/7 telephone services, in coordination with Health811 •
Performance measurement: guided by updated frameworks and KPIs to assess progress, particularly those piloted by the Initial 12 OHTs
Home care pilot • A core group of
12 OHTs was selected to accelerate the delivery of
home care services beginning in 2025. These teams will pioneer integrated care models to support transitions for people with chronic conditions across primary care, hospital, and community settings. • The selected OHTs include: All Nations Health Partners; Burlington; Couchiching; Durham; East Toronto Health Partners; Frontenac, Lennox & Addington; Greater Hamilton Health Network; Middlesex London; Mississauga; Nipissing Wellness; Noojmawing Sookatagaing; and North York Toronto Health Partners.
Criticism The introduction of OHTs has been criticized for lack of direction from the Ministry of Health, making it unclear the role they will play in delivering or standardizing services. Critics say the government has been overly vague in defining a role for OHTs and question the effectiveness of overseeing over 50 different OHTs, saying it will be overly complex compared to the previous system of 14 LHINs, as well as eliminating their regional focus. Bob Bell, a former physician and
University Health Network CEO who served as deputy health minister, who claims that "Given the lack of clear direction coming from the ministry, OHTs seem at risk of creating a fragmented, chaotic approach to provincial health service planning", ==Ontario Health atHome==