Category: News

Are you up to date with your cancer screening?

You can be screened early to look for pre-cancerous or early-stage cancers when treatment has a higher chance for successful treatment. Cancer screening is for people who do not have any cancer symptoms.

You can be screened early to look for pre-cancerous or early-stage cancers when treatment has a higher chance for successful treatment. Cancer screening is for people who do not have any cancer symptoms.

If you are:

  • Interested to learn more about cancer screening
  • Wanting to ensure you are up to date with available screening tests
  • Looking to get screening tests ordered for colorectal, breast and/or cervical cancer

If you live in Huntsville and do not have a doctor or Nurse Practitioner in Ontario, please sign up at the Annex for a free group* education session and visit with one of our clinicians to order any screening tests that you are eligible for.

(If you have a doctor or nurse practitioner, please contact them to discuss whether you are up to date with cancer screening).

*Please note that these sessions are in a group format and not an opportunity to discuss other personal medical issues with the clinician.

AFHT Receives Provincial Funding to Hire NPs

The Ontario government has announced $4.5 million in new funding for primary care across Parry Sound–Muskoka, with $620,100 going to the Algonquin Family Health Team and North Muskoka Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic.

The Ontario government has announced $4.5 million in new funding for primary care across Parry Sound–Muskoka, with $620,100 going to the Algonquin Family Health Team and North Muskoka Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic. The funding will allow AFHT to hire additional nurse practitioners and connect approximately 1,680 local residents to ongoing primary care.

AFHT Executive Director and CEO Janine van den Heuvel noted the investment will help attach community members currently without a family doctor or nurse practitioner. The announcement is part of Ontario’s broader Primary Care Action Plan, which aims to connect every resident to a family doctor or primary care team by 2029.

Read more at MuskokaTODAY.com or Huntsville Doppler.

AFHT on CBC’s Fresh Air

Algonquin Family Health Team’s executive director Janine van den Heuvel was interviewed on CBC Radio’s Fresh Air on February 28, 2026.

Algonquin Family Health Team’s executive director Janine van den Heuvel was interviewed on CBC Radio’s Fresh Air on February 28, 2026, discussing how the province can meet its goal of providing every Ontarian with a family doctor by 2030.

Listen to the interview here.

The Annex Needs Continued Funding to Keep Serving Huntsville’s Unattached Patients

The Algonquin Family Health Team is seeking permanent funding to keep The Annex, its Huntsville Health Care Clinic, open and to expand its hours.

The Algonquin Family Health Team is seeking permanent funding to keep The Annex, its Huntsville Health Care Clinic, open and to expand its hours from three to five days a week. AFHT Executive Director Janine Van den Heuvel told Huntsville council that with roughly 4,000 residents in the area without a family doctor, the clinic plays a key role in providing primary care and diverting patients from the emergency department.

AFHT has applied to the province for funding to sustain and grow the clinic, with a decision expected soon. In the meantime, The Annex remains open and continues booking appointments for unattached patients at 705-789-1744.

Read more at MuskokaRegion.com.

Finding a Family Doctor in Huntsville

Demand for primary care continues to outpace supply in Huntsville, leaving roughly 1,800 people on the centralized wait list.

With about 27 family physicians and 7 nurse practitioners serving Huntsville, demand for primary care continues to outpace supply, leaving roughly 1,800 people on the centralized wait list.

In this MuskokaRegion.com article, Algonquin Family Health Team Executive Director Janine van den Heuvel says wait times are difficult to predict, depending on factors like provider retirements and recruitment, and asks residents on the list for patience and understanding. She notes there are other paths to getting connected with a provider outside the wait list, such as being a family member of a rostered patient or being discharged from the ER, though this is ultimately up to individual physicians.

AFHT and its partner providers remain committed to expanding access and supporting patients through the ongoing shortage.