• Ontario is providing $8.4 million in new annual funding to expand primary care services across Markham, Stouffville, and Uxbridge.
  • $1.7 million will be invested to broaden primary care services in Stouffville in partnership with the Community Health Clinic.
  • The expansion aims to provide primary care access to Stouffville’s remaining unattached residents within the next fiscal year.
  • New funding will add physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, administrative staff, and a broader range of allied health professionals.
  • Expanded services will launch Aug. 4, while renovations to additional clinic space are expected to be completed in the following months.
  • Stouffville residents currently unable to access primary care are encouraged to register now.
  • The expansion was first previewed during Stouffville’s Main Street 5k, which raised $127,688 for Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation.

 

Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan is delivering $8.4 million in new annual funding to expand primary care access across eastern York Region and North Durham, with Stouffville positioned to see a significant share of the investment.

Announced at Markham Stouffville Hospital on June 26, the funding is expected to connect up to 23,000 people currently without a primary care provider in Markham, Stouffville, and Uxbridge. Oak Valley Health estimates roughly 45,000 residents across those communities remain unattached, meaning the investment could address half of the current demand.

Of the total funding, $1.7 million has been earmarked for the introduction of Carefirst Family Health Team in Stouffville. They will work in partnership with Oak Valley Health’s Community Health Clinic (CHC) at 37 Sandiford Dr., where a major expansion of primary care services will begin rolling out next month.

CHC Stouffville opened in 2023, initially operating out of Well Plus Compounding Pharmacy on Main Street before relocating to its larger Sandiford facility last September. Originally created to provide care for residents without a family doctor, the clinic has already begun attaching patients to primary care.

Before the clinic opened, an estimated 14,000 Stouffville residents did not have access to a primary care provider. Oak Valley Health believes the expanded clinic will now have the capacity to connect all remaining unattached residents over the next fiscal year, according to Cheryl Osborne, Senior Patient Care Director, Community Integration, Childbirth & Children’s Services, Alongside Midwifery Unit and Diabetes Programs.

“The people in Stouffville that have no primary care provider can expect rapid access to primary care through the Community Health Clinic, as well as fulsome, team-based care,” she assured in a conversation with Bullet Point News.

Oak Valley Health currently operates CHC Stouffville in partnership with Eastern York Region North Durham Ontario Health Team. New provincial funding being provided through Carefirst Family Health Team will allow the clinic to scale up with additional family physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, and administrative staff.

The investment will also strengthen Oak Valley Health’s interdisciplinary approach to care by expanding access to allied health professionals, including dietitians, occupational therapists, social workers, and other specialists. New services will include psychotherapy, supports for children living with ADHD, concussion management, and additional programs designed to meet patients’ broader health needs.

“We specifically asked for funding to support those designations, because a high percentage of the individuals we see in primary care have complexities that someone like a dietitian or social worker can help improve,” Osborne said. “Primary care needs to be well-rounded.”

To accommodate the growing team and patient roster, Oak Valley Health has secured additional space adjacent to the existing Community Health Clinic.

According to Elena Pacheco, Oak Valley Health’s Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, the provincial funding was backdated to April 1, 2026. Because recruitment and planning were required before new services could begin, up to $100,000 in unspent funding from that period can be directed toward leasehold improvements for the expansion.

Oak Valley Health has initiated a formal design and procurement process to renovate and activate the additional space. In the meantime, expanded services will begin operating from the clinic’s existing location on Aug. 4, with the larger footprint expected to open in the following months.

“There are approval processes with the Ministry of Health we are following, so we won’t see hammer to drywall for a couple of months, but that isn’t stopping us from this expansion,” Pacheco said. “We’re working to provide timely access, so patients feel that attachment and support right away.”

With that additional capacity coming to Stouffville in less than two weeks, Osborne is encouraging anyone who does not currently have a primary care provider to contact the clinic and begin the registration process.

“Nobody in Stouffville needs to be without a primary care provider moving forward,” she said. “We will do an intake appointment with them right away.”

Main Street 5k Further Supports Local Healthcare

Expansion of the Community Health Clinic was first previewed during the fourth annual Stouffville Main Street 5k fundraising run on June 21, which raised a record $127,688 for Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation (MSHF).

In remarks before the run, Oak Valley Health CEO Mark Fam explained that community fundraising plays a critical role in equipping the hospital and supporting frontline care teams. He also touched on the additional healthcare services soon coming to Stouffville.

“The run you’re doing, the donations you fundraise, make all the difference for the physicians, the nurses, the people who take care of you and come to the hospital,” Fam said. “I’m excited about the work we are going to do here in Stouffville to expand care and services, and we’ve got a lot more coming in the fall.”

More than 1,200 participants gathered at Memorial Park on Father’s Day morning for the event, which generated over $47,000 for Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation through its fundraising website. Significant contributions were also made by event sponsors, including Fieldgate Homes, Fairgate Homes, and Starlane Home Corporation.

Mayor Iain Lovatt, who has championed the run since 2023, thanked runners, supporters, sponsors, and the more than 100 volunteers who helped organize the day’s activities.

“Today is more than just a run. It’s about honouring the healthcare workers that work every day to care for our loved ones,” he said. “It’s about celebrating the selfless and dedicated individuals who keep our community healthy and thriving.”

Following a warm-up, groups formed and made their way to the starting line in waves. Among the first was Newmarket’s Sebastian Blair Reynoso, who returned looking to improve on his third-place finish and 17:02 time from last year’s race.

When the starting horn sounded, participants quickly filled Park Drive and Main Street. Reynoso crossed the finish line first in 16:28, shaving 34 seconds off his 2025 performance and besting last year’s winning time by five seconds.

In a release following the event, MSHF emphasized the growing importance of community support as healthcare demands continue to evolve.

Markham Stouffville Hospital “must be ready for what lies ahead while continuing to transform care delivery for the growing, aging, and diverse community,” the Foundation stated, noting that government funding alone is not keeping pace with priority needs.

“Proceeds from the event will enable the purchase of leading-edge equipment and the enhancement of patient care at MSH,” the release added. “Community investment helps ensure the hospital can continue to expand its unique campus, grow its programs and services around real patient needs, and provide exceptional care close to home.”

 

 

Cover image shows (left to right) Eastern York Region North Durham Ontario Health Team Physician Lead Dr. Christina Popa, Oak Valley Health VP and COO Elena Pacheco, Oak Valley Health Senior Patient Care Director Cheryl Osborne, and CareFirst CEO Helen Leung. Provided by and used with permission from Oak Valley Health.