Family doctor in Cambridge struggling to find patients

Some people can't find a doctor, but in Waterloo, one physician is struggling to find patients. Ashley Bacon explains.

Is there disconnect between patients and family doctors in Ontario?

It’s a question a Cambridge physician is wondering as he looks to build his own practice by adding to his patient roster.

Dr. Binh Van opened the Princeton Medical Centre, at 600 Hespeler Road, in December 2024. Most days his waiting room has been nearly empty, despite being open seven days a week.

“The clinic has been open for weeks, but not many people know about the clinic,” Van told CTV News.

At a time when finding a family doctor in Ontario can take months or years, Van thinks the government should have more supports in place to connect people with doctors who want to take on new patients.

“You keep on saying we don’t have enough doctors. So then when you do have one, you should have lots of support from the government so we can get the patient enrolled. It is disappointing in a sense.”

Princeton Medical Center’s spokesperson, Pete Keung, told CTV News many doctors open new practices but lack the knowledge or ability to grow their roster without outside help.

“He’s rostering, and there’s no lineup, and he’s out advertising. That’s what I believe, that there’s a problem. There’s a disconnect [between] getting people who need a doctor and family care.”

Van said the clinic, which also includes a physio studio and pharmacy, hasn’t connected with any patients through ‘Health Care Connect,’ the wait list managed by the Ontario Government for people in need of a family doctor.

CTV News Kitchener reached out to the Ministry of Health to ask how long it typically takes to find a family doctor through the Health Care Connection (HCC) program.

Although they did not provide a timeline, their statement read, in part:

“Each year, this program connects nearly 40,000 people to a primary care provider. In fact, 80 per cent of people who join the program find a family care provider. HCC provides a primary care provider’s contact information once they are found for an HCC applicant.”

For now, Van is working seven days a week and hopes to attract enough patients to bring on more physicians.

“He has a few hundred patients right now already but, according to what I’ve been told by the doctor, there’s no real limit. He would accept another 1,000 patients,” Keung said.