New Program Offers a Digital Lifeline for Grey-Bruce Healthcare

OWEN SOUND, ON – May 04, 2026 – A new virtual care program has launched across Grey and Bruce counties, offering a much-needed lifeline to residents navigating a healthcare system under significant strain. The MyCareSteps program, a partnership between tech firm Serefin Health, Brightshores Health System, and the Grey-Bruce Ontario Health Team (OHT), aims to provide coordinated care support for the region's 175,000 residents, with a particular focus on the thousands left without a family doctor.

This proof-of-concept initiative arrives at a critical time. While the program's press release cites an estimated 23,000 residents without a regular primary care provider, recent data paints an even starker picture, with some local estimates from early 2025 suggesting as many as 45,000 people in the region are unattached to a family physician. This local crisis mirrors a provincial one, with projections indicating the number of Ontarians without a family doctor could reach 4.4 million by 2026. MyCareSteps aims to bridge this gap by providing a clear, accessible point of contact for patients who might otherwise fall through the cracks.

How Virtual Coordination Works

The MyCareSteps program is available at no cost and connects individuals with dedicated nurse care coordinators via virtual channels. These coordinators are tasked with demystifying the often-complex healthcare journey for patients and their families. Their support includes helping patients understand their prescribed care plans, empowering them with tools for self-managing chronic conditions between appointments, and actively connecting them with necessary health and community services.

Central to the program's design is ensuring continuity of care, especially during vulnerable transition periods, such as when a patient is discharged from a hospital and returns home. The program began accepting its first cohort of patients with complex or ongoing needs on April 1, 2026.

“MyCareSteps will help residents stay connected to their care journey by providing a clear point of contact and support between appointments and services,” noted Rebecca Brookham, Director of Research & Innovation at Brightshores Health System. “The learnings from this program will strengthen care coordination and better support patients and families.”

Access is designed to be straightforward. Residents can be enrolled through a referral from a primary care provider or a hospital, but crucially, they can also self-refer. This open-access model is a key feature for a region where so many lack a designated family doctor to initiate such a referral, preventing a common barrier to care.

A Response to a Deepening Regional Crisis

The challenges facing Grey and Bruce counties are emblematic of issues plaguing many rural and remote parts of Canada. The region has a lower physician-to-population ratio than the Ontario average, and a significant percentage of its existing primary care providers are approaching retirement age, threatening to worsen the shortage. For years, residents without a family doctor have been forced to rely on emergency rooms for non-urgent issues, placing immense pressure on hospitals and leading to long wait times.

The MyCareSteps program is a direct strategic response to this reality. By offering a navigation service, it helps manage patient care outside of the emergency department, potentially easing the burden on Brightshores' six regional hospitals. It provides a structured support system for patients who may feel lost after a diagnosis or unsure of where to turn for community resources, from mental health support to home care services.

This model reflects a growing consensus in healthcare that patient support cannot end at the clinic or hospital door. “MyCareSteps reflects the growing recognition that ongoing coordination and support are vital to the care experience,” said Skip Schwartz, President of Serefin Health. “By combining experienced nurse care coordinators with secure digital tools, we help patients stay connected and support providers across the region.”

A Potential Blueprint for Ontario's Future?

While its immediate goal is to serve Grey-Bruce, the MyCareSteps initiative is being closely watched as a potential model for other regions. The program is structured as a strategic public-private partnership, combining the agility and technology of Serefin Health with the established infrastructure of Brightshores Health System and the regional planning oversight of the Grey-Bruce OHT.

The program's evaluation is a critical component. The Brightshores Office of Research and Innovation, with backing from the national organization Healthcare Excellence Canada (HEC), is formally studying its impact. HEC has a history of supporting innovative care models, providing seed funding and expertise to projects aimed at improving access in rural and remote communities. This evaluation will measure the program's effect on patient experience, provider workflows, and overall care coordination, with the findings intended to inform future, potentially larger-scale models.

This pilot aligns with a massive provincial push to address the primary care deficit. The Ontario government has committed billions to its Primary Care Action Plan, including over $4.2 million announced in April 2026 specifically for Grey and Bruce counties to connect more residents to care teams. MyCareSteps represents a complementary strategy, demonstrating how virtual coordination can enhance and support these new and existing teams. If successful, it could provide a scalable blueprint for how technology and human-led navigation can be integrated to build a more resilient and accessible healthcare system across the province.