Ottawa family doctor matchmaker connects 445 patients to primary care in six months
A newborn attachment program at Queensway Carleton Hospital has become a lifeline for entire families searching for family physicians, with funding extended through March 2027.
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When Diana Jimenez and Manpreet Singh brought their newborn daughter home from Queensway Carleton Hospital, they didn't face the search that has plagued many Ottawa families. The hospital's Newborn Primary Care Attachment Initiative had already matched their daughter, Harjass Kaur Jimenez, with a family doctor before she left the hospital.
"It means a lot because, for the last two years, we didn't have a doctor," Singh said. "With this help, we have a family doctor now. It's really wonderful." Jimenez, who had relied on walk-in clinics for years, said: "It was so complicated to find a space for a doctor. Now everything will be easier for us."
The program, available only to families delivering at Queensway Carleton Hospital and Almonte General Hospital, launched in January and has connected 445 patients to ongoing primary care. It has built a network of more than 85 clinics and more than 65 family doctors and nurse practitioners willing to accept new patients. The Ottawa West Four Rivers Ontario Health Team extended funding until March 31, 2027, allowing the initiative to continue despite uncertainty about its long-term future.
Tracey Zoobkoff, the nurse care co-ordinator behind the initiative, said the program's impact has surprised her. "My goal was simply to find primary care for every newborn leaving Queensway Carleton or Almonte General Hospital without a provider," she said. "The fact that physicians are now rostering mothers, fathers and sometimes siblings has gone beyond my wildest dreams."
The initiative comes as Ontario faces a family doctor shortage. The Ontario Medical Association estimates more than 2.5 million people in the province do not have family doctors, while more than half of family doctors surveyed said they were considering retirement within the next five years.
The facts
How many patients has the Newborn Primary Care Attachment Initiative connected to doctors?
The Newborn Primary Care Attachment Initiative at Queensway Carleton Hospital and Almonte General Hospital has connected 445 patients to primary care since launching in January 2026.
How many family doctors and nurse practitioners are part of the program?
The initiative has built a network of more than 85 clinics and more than 65 family doctors and nurse practitioners willing to accept new patients.
Until when is the program funded?
The Ottawa West Four Rivers Ontario Health Team extended funding for the Newborn Primary Care Attachment Initiative until March 31, 2027.
Which hospitals offer this newborn doctor-matching program?
The Newborn Primary Care Attachment Initiative is available only to families delivering at Queensway Carleton Hospital and Almonte General Hospital in Ottawa.
