What is an Ontario Health Team (OHT)?
Ontario Health Teams (OHT) are a new way of organizing and delivering care that is more connected to patients, families, and caregivers in their local communities.
Through Ontario Health Teams, or OHTs, groups of health care providers including hospitals, doctors and home and community care providers, work together to deliver a full and coordinated system of care for patients, no matter where they provide care and even if they’re not in the same organization or physical location.
OHT is made up of health care providers including
- family doctors and nurse practitioners
- family health teams and community health centres
- hospitals
- home and community care support services
- long-term care
- mental health and addictions services
- rehabilitation and complex care
- palliative care and hospice
- emergency health services, including ambulance and paramedic services
What does this mean for patients?
Patients will continue to access the care they need by the providers they trust. Health services will not be interrupted.
Developing Ontario Health Teams is on ongoing process that will take several years. In the future, OHTs will help to make it easier to access services and better support patients as they move from one health care provider or setting to another.
Patients can still:
go to the same doctor
choose their own doctor, nurse practitioner or specialist
receive care by the same trusted providers as they do now
expect excellent service from all healthcare sectors, from cancer care and organ donation, to home and community care
The Ottawa Valley Ontario Health Team (OVOHT)
The Ottawa Valley Ontario Health Team (OVOHT) was officially launched in October 2021. It is made up of more than 50 local health professionals, health care providers, organizations, and community members who are working together to improve our health system and connect patients to the services they need in a more consistent and timely way.
The Ottawa Valley OHT is one of more than 50 OHTs across Ontario that has been approved by the Ministry of Health to support integrated care in our province
Ottawa Valley OHT Geography
The Ottawa Valley OHT represents a large part of Renfrew County that stretches from Renfrew to Barry’s Bay and the South Algonquin area to past Deep River and includes a broad and diverse set of communities in and around the Ottawa Valley including Calabogie, Barry’s Bay, Eganville, Cobden, Pembroke, Petawawa, and Chalk River as well as those along Highway 60 to South Algonquin Township.
The OVOHT is spread out across 7,600 square kilometres in a mainly rural area and will provide services to nearly 80,000 residents.