Question 1

Eating Disorder Project (FREEDcan)

Accepted Answer

The Grey Bruce Eating Disorders (FREEDcan) Project is a 16-week pilot initiative focused on improving early identification and timely support for youth and young adults, ages 8 to 25, who may be experiencing an eating disorder. The project brings together primary care, schools, community mental health and other local partners to test a more consistent, coordinated approach to screening and initial response across Grey Bruce.By implementing common ODES screening practices and FREEDcan-aligned initial responses, the pilot aims to reduce delays, improve equity of access and strengthen referral pathways while making the best use of existing local services. Data collected through the pilot will help identify system gaps, inform regional planning and support future scale-up of a more integrated eating disorders care pathway for children, youth and young adults in Grey Bruce.

Question 2

eReferral and Central Intake

Accepted Answer

The eReferral and Central Intake initiative focuses on supporting the adoption and implementation of OCEAN eReferral and Central Intake across primary and acute care settings. The initiative aligns with Ontario Health’s priority to have all physicians and nurse practitioners onboarded by March 31, 2027, helping create a more consistent and connected referral process for clinicians and patients.Implementation focuses on supporting physicians and nurse practitioners to integrate eReferral and Central Intake into their clinical workflows, improving referral quality and visibility, reducing administrative burden, and supporting more timely access to appropriate care. For patients, this can mean fewer delays, greater visibility into the referral process, and improved access to the right service or specialist. Clinicians receive onboarding, education, workflow optimization, and ongoing implementation support to facilitate successful adoption.

Question 3

Grey Bruce Primary Care Recruitment, Retention, and Wellness Collaborative

Accepted Answer

The Grey Bruce Primary Care Recruitment, Retention and Wellness Collaborative brings regional partners together to advance a coordinated strategy for primary care recruitment, retention, and provider wellness. By aligning priorities, leveraging shared resources, supporting learner pathways, and implementing collaborative workforce initiatives, the Collaborative works to build and sustain a strong primary care workforce that meets the healthcare needs of Grey Bruce communities.

Question 4

Hypercare PHIPA Compliant Communication

Accepted Answer

The Hypercare Review focuses on understanding how Hypercare is currently being used across Grey Bruce, including how adoption and utilization have changed over time. We completed a retrospective review of approximately four to five years of available Hypercare activity to examine growth and usage trends, including active and inactive users, licensing and activation history, clinical and non-clinical users, and account distribution across participating sites and departments.The review establishes a clearer baseline for ongoing monitoring and identifies opportunities to optimize license use, address underutilization, and support future platform growth. Looking at Hypercare activity over time also provides a better understanding of how the platform has evolved across Grey Bruce and where there may be opportunities to expand or better support its use. This information can help guide decisions around license management and where Hypercare may continue to support clinical communication and other local health initiatives.This work supports broader TPA priorities related to digital enablement, sustainability, and using performance information to identify opportunities for improvement and ensure available digital resources are used effectively.

Question 5

IPCT Implementation and Planning

Accepted Answer

The Grey Bruce Ontario Health Team is supporting the implementation, expansion, and ongoing planning of Interprofessional Primary Care Teams (IPCTs) as part of broader efforts to attach all Ontarians to Primary Care by 2029. The work brings together primary care leadership and partners to support implementation of funded initiatives while planning for future opportunities to expand team-based primary care.In 2026–27, the initiative focuses on facilitating IPCT implementation and supporting future proposal planning, with progress measured against primary care attachment targets. Through coordinated regional planning, the work aims to strengthen the critical foundation of Primary Care in Grey Bruce.

Question 6

MHA Service Delivery Working Group

Accepted Answer

The Grey Bruce Mental Health and Addictions (MHA) Working Group brings together regional partners to implement and sustain a coordinated all ages community walk-in service model for individuals experiencing non-crisis mental health and addictions concerns. Through standardized care pathways, integrated navigation, coordinated communications, and shared evaluation, the Working Group aims to improve timely access to appropriate care, enhance the client and provider experience, and reduce unnecessary reliance on emergency departments across Grey Bruce.

Question 7

PCN Engagement and Expansion

Accepted Answer

The Grey Bruce Primary Care Network (PCN) brings primary care providers together to strengthen the voice of primary care in local health system planning, decision-making and implementation. The network provides a structure for physicians, nurse practitioners and other interprofessional primary care providers to connect with one another and contribute to the work and priorities of the Grey Bruce Ontario Health Team.In 2026–27, the focus is on expanding participation in the PCN and deepening engagement among existing members, Through communications, events, meetings, subcommittees and ongoing engagement, the PCN is helping build stronger connections across the primary care sector and ensuring primary care perspectives help shape the planning and implementation of local clinical priorities.

Question 8

Preventative Cancer Screening

Accepted Answer

The Grey Bruce Ontario Health Team is working to increase preventative cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer screening rates across Grey and Bruce Counties. We are working to support a multifaceted strategy with focus on improving access, supporting providers, understanding local barriers, and educating the public to help more residents stay up to date with life-saving preventative care.We are working to collaborate with local healthcare organizations—including hospitals, public health, and primary care clinics—to ensure various screening services are available and accessible across the region. This includes promoting clinics that offer cervical cancer screening for unattached patients and supporting the distribution of screening sites across Grey and Bruce.To assist primary care providers, we can implement digital tools that make it easier to track screening status and remind patients when they are due. At the same time, we stay up to date on Ontario Health reports to analyze local screening data, identifying trends, gaps, and barriers, helping us target efforts where they will have the greatest impact.Public education and outreach are also key components of our initiative. Through social media and targeted community messaging, we raise awareness about screening options, eligibility, and how residents can access services. This includes various forms of outreach to unattached patients providing information on self-refer and follow-up from a local Cancer Care Ontario provider if results require further care.Together, these coordinated efforts support a stronger, more accessible preventative cancer screening system—helping more residents get screened and improving long-term health outcomes across Grey and Bruce Counties.

Question 9

Primary Care Geriatrics

Accepted Answer

The Grey Bruce Primary Care Geriatrics Working Group is a collaborative initiative focused on strengthening care for older adults living with frailty, dementia, memory concerns and complex health needs. The group brings together primary care, specialized geriatric services, community partners, and system leaders to better understand current services, identify gaps and variation, and design a more coordinated regional approach that supports older adults and caregivers closer to home.This work aims to build on the strong geriatric expertise already present across Grey Bruce by improving access, navigation, referral pathways, information sharing and consistency of care. Through regional planning and collaboration, the working group is helping to create a more connected, sustainable and equitable primary care geriatrics pathway that makes better use of existing resources, supports providers, and helps older adults receive the right care at the right time, as close to home as possible.

Question 10

Primary Care Support - EMR Assistance

Accepted Answer

The Primary Care Support – EMR Assistance initiative focuses on providing tailored digital health support to clinicians and clinics to optimize their electronic medical records (EMRs) and reduce administrative burden. This includes developing custom EMR forms, queries, searches, and workflows, as well as supporting the Grey County Community Paramedics team through their transition to a new EMR.The initiative also supports the exploration and adoption of digital enablers, including AI tools for EMR fax inbox sorting, clinical scribing, and reviewing lengthy patient charts to create summaries based on clinician preferences. Clinicians and clinics are encouraged to connect with the Digital Health Lead when they identify a challenge or opportunity. Teams do not need to have a solution in mind—they can simply bring forward a problem they would like to solve, and work with the Digital Health Lead to identify a meaningful solution.

Initiatives

2026-2027 Initiatives