The Future of Seniors’ Health in Rural & Northern Ontario

Primary care is often called the heartbeat of healthcare, and in Ontario’s rural and northern communities, it’s a lifeline. As more than half of long-term care spaces await redevelopment, local care teams are stepping up with new ideas and strong collaboration to help older adults age with dignity and connection. In this episode, host Donna Duncan speaks with 3 inspiring women who are reshaping seniors’ care from the ground up:

Dr. Tara Kiran, a family doctor, leading primary-care researcher at Unity Health and the University of Toronto. Tara led the OurCare survey that helped shape Ontario’s new Primary Care Act and hosts Primary Focus.

Michèle Lajeunesse, Executive Director of the Marathon Family Health Team in Marathon, Ontario—about an eleven-and-a-half-hour drive north of Toronto. She’s seeing firsthand how team-based care is helping older adults stay well and supported in their communities.

Jennifer Burns West, interim CEO of Haliburton Highlands Health Services and board member of the Senior Care Network. Jennifer is reimagining rural healthcare through integrated services and global innovations like green care farms.

Together, they share insights, wisdom, test new care models, and build a more responsive primary care system strengthening seniors’ care across Ontario - including in long-term care homes, where collaboration is helping residents live well every day.  This episode was generously sponsored by our sector champion, PointClickCare.

Resources: Seniors Care Network is responsible for the organization, coordination and governance of specialized geriatric services (SGS) in the Central East Region of Ontario Health East.

Learn more about OurCare Standard: a new way to assess primary care performance across Canada.

Click here to listen to Dr. Tara Kiran’s new podcast, Primary Focus

Mentioned in this episode: Marathon Family Health Team and Haliburton Highlands Health Services