The Greater Hamilton Health Network, the GHHN Primary Care Network, and the Hamilton Family Health Team are working together to connect residents of Hamilton, Haldimand and Niagara Northwest who don’t currently have a family doctor to a family doctor accepting patients.
ASK: We are asking for your help to find and connect patients who need a family doctor, with a doctor accepting new patients.
Why is this important: There are over 60,000 people across Hamilton, Haldimand and Niagara Northwest who need a family doctor. We know that people have better health outcomes when they are connected to a family doctor, have continuity and comprehensive care, including improved preventative care and so much more!
How does it work? We have an attachment team that is working to connect patients to family doctors who are taking new patients. Yes, we have a list of providers accepting new patients! You can call, email or fill out the OCEAN link to refer a patient and we follow up to help get them connected to a local primary care provider.
Who is eligible?
- Must not have family doctor
- Health Card preferred, but attachment team can support with a health card clinic
- Lives in Hamilton, Haldimand or Niagara Northwest
Ways this could be part of the work you do:
- Receive a call asking if you are taking new patients but have no room?
- Do you have a data base of patients that don’t have a family doctor, could you email them and provide them with the flyer to sign up?
- During your assessment phase with new clients you can ask, do you have a family doctor?
- When doing case management
- When doing discharge planning
- Add our webpage link to your website: https://hamiltonfht.ca/team/find-a-family-doctor/
- Like and share our ‘Need a Family Doctor’ posts on social media
- https://linktr.ee/ghhn (visit our linktree to access our socials)
- Share this information with your team using our pre-made flyers and presentation slides:
- Need a Family Doctor Flyer: https://greaterhamiltonhealthnetwork.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PUBLIC-Copy-of-GHHN-PCN-Attachment-Flyer.pdf
- Need a Family Doctor Flyer (Niagara): https://greaterhamiltonhealthnetwork.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/PUBLIC-Copy-of-GHHN-PCN-Niagara-Attachment-Flyer.png
- Need a Family Doctor/Health Care Connect Flyer: https://greaterhamiltonhealthnetwork.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GHHN-PCN-AttachmentHCC-Flyer.pdf
- Need a Family Doctor/Health Care Connect Flyer (Niagara): PUBLIC-HCC-PCN-Attachment-Flyer-NIAGARA.png (1080×1350)
- Slides: https://greaterhamiltonhealthnetwork.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Attachment-PPT-slides.pdf
- Slides (Niagara): https://greaterhamiltonhealthnetwork.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Niagara-Attachment-PPT-slides.pdf
There are different ways to help get someone connected:
- Reach out directly to our Attachment Team
Call: (365) 317-8117
Email: attach@hamiltonfht.ca
Website: www.hamiltonfht.ca
2. Direct referral via the OCEAN link (not to be shared with patients)
If you are a health or community partner you can fill out our OCEAN link to refer them directly to our registry.
OCEAN Link: me-qr.com/s2438VIA
3. Health Care Connect
Call: 811
Health Care Connect is a provincial resource. When you register with Health Care Connect they will help you find a doctor or nurse practitioner for you.
Website: http://www.ontario.ca/healthcareconnect
Have questions or want to book a meeting? Or if you think there is someone else in your organization we should reach out to or know of another organization who would benefit from this information. Please email us at info@ghhn.ca