New advances in access to primary health care
Vitalité Health Network now supports 30 local family health teams across its four zones.
This model relies on collaboration between different health care professionals to provide the population with faster access to primary health care.
The model comes with clear accessibility targets: an appointment within five days for non-urgent consultations and within 48 hours for minor emergencies.
So far, 22 teams are able to offer rapid access for minor emergencies, which helps ease the pressure on hospital emergency departments.
At the end of 2025, 91% of the population served by the Network was connected to a health care provider, thanks to an additional 40,489 patients being taken on.
A total of 257,840 patients are under the care of a family physician or nurse practitioner. This care is provided under two practice models:
- 181,359 patients are under the care of local family health teams;
- 76,481 patients receive care in solo practices.
Next steps
- Strengthen collaborative practices and optimize the contribution of each role within teams
- Support integration of electronic medical records (EMRs)
- Continue recruitment of new professionals within teams
- Further integrate public health and mental health services into the model
- Improve coordination with hospital services
Decline in non-urgent emergency room visits
Emergency departments in our hospitals are increasingly being used to respond to situations that truly require immediate care.
Over the past year, we have observed a downward trend in the proportion of emergency room visits for less urgent needs, known as Level 4 and 5 visits. These situations involve health conditions that can often be managed by a family physician or a nurse practitioner.
The proportion of these visits decreased from 58% in November 2024 to 49% in December 2025.
This means that more people are receiving care outside the emergency department for less urgent needs. It is a sign that access to primary health care is improving in our communities.
When emergency departments are less crowded, care teams can better focus on true emergencies, and patients with less urgent needs receive more appropriate care in an environment better suited to their situation.
A sixth team in the Chaleur region
In the last quarter, Vitalité Health Network signed an agreement with a sixth local family health team in the Chaleur region: the Clinique Médicale Centre-Ville officially joined the Network's points of service.
The team, which includes six physicians, two nursing staff and four administrative support staff, helps improve access to collaborative primary health care in the region.
The group is now working to expand collaboration with community services in physiotherapy and pharmacy, and on the development of a new examination room that will make it possible to welcome medical residents starting in 2026.
Result: 30 of Bathurst's 34 family physicians are now involved in the model.
