A family care team in the Eastern Rural Zone is accepting patients. The team, located in Clarenville, is one of 14 teams increasing access to primary care in Newfoundland and Labrador.

To date, 19 family care teams have been announced and the number of people rostered with family care team has risen from about 28,000 people in March 2023 to more than 49,000 as of September 2023. In addition, the number of health care professionals employed with family care teams has grown from 100 in April to 196 in September.

The team is located at 105 Manitoba Drive and is operational Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., by appointment only.

Patients who do not have access to a primary care provider such as a family physician or a nurse practitioner can register to be seen at the family care team clinic through the Patient Connect NL website at https://patientconnect.nlchi.nl.ca/ or via phone at 1-833-913-4679. Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services will work to assign those who register to a family care team when one becomes available in their area.

Residents will be contacted by someone from the clinic to book an appointment. There may be a waiting period from the time that patients register to the time when they receive an appointment with the clinic.

Family care teams are aligned with recommendations from Health Accord NL, and represent a new vision of team-based care to transform our primary health care system. They improve access to primary health care for individuals and families and offer access to multiple health care professionals, including:

• Family doctors;
• Nurse practitioners;

“More and more people are being connected to family care teams as we modernize our province’s health care system by delivering the highest quality of primary care. In a team-based model, health care professionals work together, strengthening patient outcomes and enhancing their overall health and well-being through personalized health care services,” says health minister Tom Osborne. “By investing in and prioritizing accessible primary health care, we not only improve the well-being of residents, but also bolster the overall health of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.”