North Shore Family Health Team Receives Permanent Provincial Funding to Strengthen Primary Care

SCHREIBER/TERRACE BAY, ON — August 17, 2026 — The North Shore Family Health Team (NSFHT) is pleased to announce that it has been selected as a successful recipient of Interprofessional Care Team funding through Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan.

Through this initiative, the NSFHT will receive an addition of $196,000 in permanent annual funding to strengthen access to team-based primary care for residents of Schreiber and Terrace Bay, as well as the neighbouring communities of Pawgwasheeng First Nation and Rossport.

The new funding supports Ontario’s commitment to expanding publicly funded, team-based primary care and connecting every Ontarian to a primary care provider or team by 2029.

“This investment is an important step forward for primary care in our communities,” said the North Shore Family Health Team. “It recognizes the importance of the collaborative care provided by our physicians, nurse practitioner, allied health care professionals, and will help us continue to respond to the evolving health care needs of the people we serve.”

Building on 20 Years of Team-Based Care

The announcement comes as the North Shore Family Health Team prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary in January 2027.

The NSFHT began its journey in May 2006 with an early-start Nurse Practitioner position held by Sue McConnell, at a time when the communities were short one physician. The addition of the Nurse Practitioner position provided residents who did not have a family physician with access to consistent primary care.

By February 2007, the remainder of the Family Health Team was in place, and the team began developing a variety of health promotion and chronic disease management programs to complement the primary care provided by local physicians and the Nurse Practitioner.

Although Sue retired in 2023, she continues to support the Family Health Team and the communities it serves. She will also help mentor Registered Nurse Elizabeth Adduono as Elizabeth furthers her education toward becoming a Nurse Practitioner.

Elizabeth’s initial role with the NSFHT as an RN will allow her to provide a range of services to patients while supporting Nurse Practitioner Kim Almgren and physicians Dr. McLeod, Dr. Rushton, Dr. Peters and Dr. Janpanah in meeting the primary care needs of area residents.

As part of her work with the team, Elizabeth will also be developing a palliative care program to support people living with life-limiting illnesses and their families as they progress through their health care journey.

Looking Ahead

The NSFHT team will continue its work supporting patients throughout their health care journeys through primary care, health promotion, chronic disease management and other programs and services.

While the new provincial investment provides important permanent support, the NSFHT will continue to advocate for opportunities to grow its small team and further strengthen the support available to local physicians and the communities they serve.

“Our team is proud of what has been accomplished over the past 20 years, and we are excited about what lies ahead,” said Mary Lynn Dingwell, Executive Director of the North Shore Family Team. “This funding allows us to build on the strong foundation created by our team, our physicians and our communities, while continuing to look for ways to improve access to care.”

Lise Vaugeois, MPP for Thunder Bay-superior North, welcomed the announcement:

“I am so pleased that the Northshore Family Health Team has received funding to strengthen the services they can provide to the communities of Terrace Bay, Schreiber, Pawgwasheeng, and Rossport.  Every increase in staff means that more people can access timely health care – something we all need and a service that keeps our communities strong.”

About the North Shore Family Health Team

The North Shore Family Health Team is a community-based, interprofessional health care organization serving residents of Schreiber, Terrace Bay and surrounding communities. The team works collaboratively with local physicians and other health care providers to deliver comprehensive primary care, health promotion, chronic disease management and other services designed to support the health and well-being of individuals and families.

To learn more about the North Shore Family Health Team, including information about its programs and services, visit www.nsfht.org.