Our Community Corner series amplifies the voices of HIROC Subscribers and the impactful work they’re doing for the Canadian health system. Each edition focuses on a topic that is top of mind right now from experts in the field.
On this Community Corner, Dr. Kim McIntosh and Jillian Fenik from Couchiching Ontario Health Team tell us about their unique model of collaboration, one that reaches across organizations and sectors.
But first, let’s meet Kim and Jillian….
How has the Couchiching Ontario Health Team (COHT) evolved to support collaboration across organizations and providers who don’t typically work together?
The Couchiching Ontario Health Team (COHT) was one of the first approved Ontario Health Teams in the province in 2019. This new relationship was rooted in their historic commitment to collaboration and brought together primary care, hospitals, home and community care, long term care, mental health, paramedicine, Indigenous services, municipal bodies, and more.
The Joint Executive Table (JET) and the Collaboration Table are comprised of a mix of health and social service partners who are invested in learning and exploring innovations to improve the health system in our region.
The pandemic provided an opportunity to strengthen relationships and support health and social sectors in the region. The Couchiching Primary Care Network quickly evolved to strengthen partnership and inter-provider coordination. The COHT/PCN embraced principles of collaboration and co-design and included patients, families and caregivers from the outset, ensuring shared ownership and integrated system design.
What is the most unique part about the Couchiching OHT?
What’s unique is the commitment and investment of all COHT partners to our shared purpose:
We are one community that is committed to improving health and wellness.
Together we will achieve our goal through system co-design, in a culturally safe and meaningful way.
COHT also stands out for its deep cross-sector partnerships, including hospitals, primary care, mental health, social services, and Indigenous communities, all working together through authentic co-design.
As one of the first OHTs in Ontario, it has become a provincial exemplar, mentoring other teams and demonstrating innovative approaches to integrated care.
With recent funding enhancements, the Couchiching Region has become one of the first to open primary care services to all residents. This means that all residents of Orillia, Severn, Ramara, Rama First Nation and parts of Oro-Medonte can access primary care services regardless of if they are attached to a family physician or nurse practitioner or waiting to be attached. While many OHTs are working on integrating services, the combination of strong partnerships, a commitment to co-design and supportive funding helped to create the Couchiching Health Home.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to other healthcare organizations on implementing your model of collaboration?
Building trusting relationships is key to building momentum and lasting impact. Continue to look for new innovative opportunities to help each other achieve common goals.
Moving forward together, can feel slow. Progress and innovation are possible when done collaboratively and with co-design approaches.
Tell us about your Couchiching Health Home model and its impact on your community.
The Couchiching OHT’s Health Home model is designed to give patients a single, coordinated point of access to care, especially for those with complex needs or without a primary provider. It brings together family physicians, nurse practitioners, allied health professionals, and community partners into an integrated team that shares one care plan and one record. This approach improves continuity, reduces duplication, and ensures patients receive timely support for both medical and social needs.
In the community, the impact has been significant—better attachment for unattached patients, fewer emergency department visits, and improved management of chronic conditions like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). By focusing on collaboration and patient-centered design, the Health Home model strengthens trust and delivers more equitable, accessible care.
Thank you, Dr. Kim McIntosh, Jillian Fenik, and the team at the Couchiching Ontario Health Team for reinforcing the importance of cross-sector partnerships.
We love how open you are to collaboration and also working with other OHTs to share knowledge about what is working well and what others can try.
If you have a story for Community Corner, we’d love to hear from you. Subscribers can reach us at [email protected].
