Question 1

What is primary care?

Accepted Answer

Primary care is your first stop for health care, no matter your age or stage of life. It includes things like checkups, treatment when you are sick, and personalized advice to help keep you healthy.

Primary care providers focus on your overall health and can help with a wide range of health issues, connect you to specialists and necessary testing (diagnostics), and can help prevent, identify and treat illness.

Question 2

Who provides primary care?

Accepted Answer

• Family doctors (or general practitioners): They diagnose and treat most health issues. If you need a specialist, like a heart doctor (cardiologist) or skin doctor (dermatologist), your family doctor will refer you. They also order tests, like blood work or X-rays (diagnostics).

• Nurse practitioners: These are nurses with advanced training who can do many of the same things as doctors, like diagnosing and treating illnesses or prescribing medicine. Primary care providers focus on your overall health and connect you to other healthcare services when needed.

Question 3

Why is it important to have a primary care provider (family doctor or nurse practitioner)?

Accepted Answer

• People who are connected to a primary care provider are more likely to have better health results. Primary care providers can help with earlier and faster diagnosis and treatment of health conditions.

• There is also more consistent care and support for managing you and your family’s health that can be personalized for all members of your family, from babies to seniors.

Question 4

How do I find a primary care provider (family doctor/nurse practitioner)?

Accepted Answer

Health Care Connect refers you to a local doctor or nurse practitioner who is accepting new patients. Access this resource by calling 1-800-445-1822 or visit this link.(https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-family-doctor-or-nurse-practitioner)

Some of our partner organizations in North York are now accepting new patients:

• Contact Flemingdon Health Centre by visiting their website (https://www.fhc-chc.com/becoming-a-client-2/)or calling 416-640-5298 ext. 280. Priority is given to those who live in the M2J postal code. 
 • Contact Get Well Family Health Team by visiting their website (https://getwellteam.ca/)or calling 416-977-1560. Priority is given to those who live in the M2N and M3H postal codes.

Primary Care

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