Telus Health Steps In: First Ontario Clinic Tackles Doctor Crisis

Image: Telus Health MyCare Clinic in Toronto

Telus Health has opened a new primary care clinic in downtown Toronto, combining virtual and in-person care options to address the city’s shortage of family doctors.

The Telus Health MyCare Union clinic, located at 25 York Street, can take up to 6,000 new patients, with expansion plans for the future. This move offers hope for many of Toronto’s 500,000 residents who currently don’t have a family doctor.

“We recognize that traditional healthcare models need to evolve to meet the growing needs of individuals,” said Dr. Alissia Valentinis, Senior Medical Director, Telus Health, in a statement.

“In addition to in-person appointments, we are also helping those patients who struggle to get to a clinic due to various challenges, by providing the option to meet virtually. Our new MyCare clinic in Toronto represents a significant step in breaking down the barriers to access care,” said Valentinis.

The clinic allows patients to choose between virtual and in-person appointments, offering more flexibility than typical walk-in clinics, and lets patients register the clinic as their primary “medical home” for ongoing care. The only way to make an appointment is to use the Telus Health mobile app.

Ontario’s healthcare system has been stretched thin, with around 2.5 million people lacking a family doctor, causing many to turn to crowded hospital emergency rooms for non-urgent issues.

Telus Health now has three clinics, with one each in Vancouver and Victoria, and now one in Toronto.

This new clinic aims to address a small part of this gap by offering consistent and adaptable care options. Across Canada, an estimated 6.5 million people are currently without a family doctor, and shortages have resulted in some hospital ERs closing early, or overnight due to shortages.