Toronto's New Family Health Teams

Residents in the GTA are now able to access services at six new Family Health Teams (FHTs):

• Village FHT
• Sunnybrook Academic FHT
• West Park FHT
• Humber River FHT
• East GTA FHT
• Don Mills FHT

About Family Health Teams

Ontario continues to improve access to family health care and increase the number of Ontarians who have a family doctor. Since April 2005, 200 Family Health Teams have been created across the province. Ontario's 200 teams will improve access to healthcare for more than three million Ontarians.

Family Health Teams are a patient-centred primary care option that offers patients access to a number of primary healthcare services. Each Family Health Team has a core of healthcare professionals including doctors, nurse practitioners and nurses, and may employ a dietician, a social worker, a pharmacist or other healthcare professionals to meet the needs of their patients.

Family Health Teams ensure that people receive the care they need in their communities, as each team is set-up based on local health and community needs. They work with other healthcare organizations, such as public health units and Community Care Access Centres to ensure patients receive high quality care.

Family Health Teams are also taking advantage of electronic medical records to organize patients' health information and share it securely with other health professionals.

Faster Access to Care

Many Family Health Teams offer evening and weekend hours and same or next-day appointments.

Patients who are enrolled in a Family Health Team also have access to the Telephone Health Advisory Service (THAS) at 1-866-553-7205, which is an after-hours service that provides access to a registered nurse. 

Doctors and care providers like those in a FHT are the front line of health care in Ontario. When patients are seen quicker, they can get better sooner or avoid getting sicker. Being seen faster means preventing serious complications that lead to higher levels of care. Doctors and Family Health Team staff also act as navigators of the health care system when their patients need specialized care.