Expanding Access to Care and Easing Pressure on Emergency Departments

Everyone in Canada deserves timely access to healthcare — including care closer to home and in their communities. When people can connect to the right care, at the right time, in the right place, they’re less likely to turn to emergency departments for issues that can be managed elsewhere.

How you can get involved

In spring 2025, teams can choose from four new offerings, each designed to align with their unique goals and capacity. Healthcare Excellence Canada provides funding and tools to help teams apply proven approaches that improve access to primary and community care and ease emergency department pressure.

Join one or more to access supports, build skills and increase impact:

• Want something flexible that fits most settings? Bring your best ideas to improve access to care and ease pressures on emergency departments—reducing the need for people to travel outside their community—to the Right Care Challenge. With optional supports and a practical structure, it helps you make an impact, even with limited time or capacity.
• Ready to strengthen team-based primary care models, including virtual care, to provide more coordinated, patient-centred care? Enroll in Enhancing Integrated Care. 
• Want to explore ways to create efficiencies and optimize team functioning so patients get timely access to care? Register for Primary Care Access Improvement.
• Keen to connect clients with community support through your paramedic service? Participate in Paramedics and Social Prescribing to help link people to local services that improve their health and well-being.

All four offerings will help teams build foundational skills in equity, cultural safety, patient engagement and safety. They also cover key topics like quality improvement and working in partnership with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities.

Different supports for each offering

No matter your role or starting point, there’s a place for you. Whether your team prefers to move at its own pace or seeks hands-on support, HEC is here to help you make a bigger impact — in your community and beyond.

Offering	Who should participate?	Funding	Expert coaching, tools & resources	Learning & connection opportunities	Important dates
Right Care Challenge	Health and social care organizations that can help patients receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place—reducing avoidable emergency department visits and/or medical travel from remote communities.	Awards with a single team eligible to win up to $34,250		Group and individual Virtual	Registration is open from May 12 to October 31, 2025. Award opportunities begin in June 2025.
Enhancing Integrated Care	Primary and community care organizations that want to strengthen their integrated team-based care models.	Seed funding up to $10,000		Group and individual Virtual	Applications are open from May 12 to June 19, 2025.  12-month duration starting in July 2025.
Paramedics and Social Prescribing	Paramedic teams that want to use social prescribing to connect clients with local community services.	Seed funding up to $30,000		Small group Virtual and in-person	Applications are open from May 12 to June 27, 2025. 18-month duration starting in September 2025.
Primary Care Access Improvement	Team-based primary care organizations that want to improve timely access to care.	Seed funding up to $15,000		Group and individual Virtual	Applications are open from May 12 to June 27, 2025. 18-month duration starting in September 2025.

Improving care for one million with Care Forward 

These offerings are part of Care Forward, a pan-Canadian movement where people unite to share knowledge and apply proven approaches to make healthcare better for more people. With support from Healthcare Excellence Canada and its partners—through funding, resources, expert coaching, and a network of peers—healthcare changemakers are creating lasting local impact and improving care for over one million people across the country.

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