Newborn attachment program secures second round of funding through March 2027
Queensway Carleton Hospital's initiative has connected 445 families to primary care since January; funding extension ensures continuity while Ontario faces a family doctor shortage.
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The Newborn Primary Care Attachment Initiative at Queensway Carleton Hospital has received a second round of funding extending the program through March 31, 2027, ensuring families delivering at the hospital continue to be matched with family doctors and nurse practitioners.
The program pairs expecting parents with physicians before their babies are born, eliminating the wait many families face after delivery. Diana Jimenez and Manpreet Singh found a doctor for their daughter Harjass Kaur through the initiative before she was born—ending their two-year search for primary care. "It was so complicated to find a space for a doctor," Jimenez said. "Now everything will be easier for us."
Since launching in January 2026, the initiative has connected 445 patients to ongoing primary care and built a network of more than 85 clinics with more than 65 family doctors and nurse practitioners accepting new patients. The program, available to families delivering at Queensway Carleton or Almonte General Hospital, was created to address Ontario's persistent family doctor shortage.
The Ontario Medical Association estimates more than 2.5 million Ontarians lack family doctors, and more than half of family doctors surveyed said they were considering retirement within five years. The Ottawa West Four Rivers Ontario Health Team extended the funding, though the initiative's long-term future remains uncertain.
The facts
How many families has the Newborn Primary Care Attachment Initiative connected to doctors?
Since launching in January 2026, the Newborn Primary Care Attachment Initiative at Queensway Carleton Hospital has connected 445 patients to ongoing primary care.
When does the program's funding extend through?
The Newborn Primary Care Attachment Initiative's second round of funding extends the program through March 31, 2027.
How many family doctors and nurse practitioners are in the program's network?
The Newborn Primary Care Attachment Initiative has built a network of more than 85 clinics with more than 65 family doctors and nurse practitioners accepting new patients.
