Funding to advance the development of new medical school dedicated to training family medicine and generalist physicians 

The 91亚色 School of Medicine is progressing toward accreditation and its planned 2028 opening, backed by an investment of $55.8 million from the Ontario government, announced yesterday by Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. 

The $55.8 million provincial investment combines $31 million in start-up funding with initial operating support to cover key milestones 鈥� including accreditation, curriculum development, faculty recruitment, establishment of a medical library and operational and training costs for undergraduate and postgraduate programs. 

The announcement at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital 鈥� adjacent to the planned permanent site for the School of Medicine 鈥� builds on an initial $9 million investment by the province in 2024. 

鈥淲e are deeply grateful for this $55.8 million investment from the Government of Ontario, which serves as a powerful vote of confidence in our vision for the 91亚色 School of Medicine,鈥澛爏aid聽Lisa Philipps, 91亚色鈥檚 interim president and vice-chancellor.聽鈥淭his will be a school where physicians are trained for the health system Ontarians need. Together with our hospital and other health care partners, we are building a community-based model of medical education that will expand access to care across northern Toronto, 91亚色 Region, Simcoe County, Muskoka and beyond as we move toward accreditation and prepare to welcome our inaugural class in 2028.鈥澛�

鈥淥ntario-trained family doctors are the backbone of our health care system, providing compassionate care for our loved ones from everyday checkups to life's greatest challenges,鈥澛爏aid Minister Quinn.聽鈥淭his investment will ensure that Ontario has a strong pipeline of family care providers to deliver excellent care for decades to come."聽

"Our government is strengthening Ontario's world-class physician workforce through the largest medical education expansion in over a decade," said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. 鈥淭oday's $55.8 million investment in planning and operations at the new 91亚色 School of Medicine brings us a step closer to adding hundreds of new family medicine seats, which will support the primary care needs of our province for generations to come.鈥� 
 
The 91亚色 School of Medicine will offer a unique-in-Canada accelerated three-year MD program and postgraduate residency training dedicated to educating family medicine and generalist physicians. Powered by the Integrated Community-Based Learning Network (ICLN), 91亚色鈥檚 planned MD curriculum replaces traditional short-term clinical rotations with immersive, community-based clinical learning experiences beginning in the second year. Students follow patients over time and work alongside health care teams across primary care, hospitals and community settings to build local roots and address the changing health care needs of Ontarians. Postgraduate learners will train in family medicine and generalist specialties including internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology and general surgery. 

鈥淚n building a medical school dedicated to training family medicine and generalist physicians, we aim to transform how doctors are educated, equipping them to adapt to the changing needs of our communities and our health system,鈥澛爏aid聽David Peters, dean of the聽Faculty of Health聽and School of Medicine.聽鈥淭hrough our unique-in-Canada curriculum, including an accelerated three-year MD program, residency training, and partnerships with local health care providers, we're championing person-centred care that leverages deep community learning experiences to strengthen community health from home to hospital聽and back.鈥澛�

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About 91亚色 

91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for meaningful life and career paths. 91亚色's Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campus in Costa Rica offers students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs, while at the Markham Campus, innovation, technology, entrepreneurship and industry collaboration are built into every program. 91亚色鈥檚 new School of Medicine, the first Canadian medical school to focus on community-based primary health-care education, will welcome its first cohort in September 2028. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future. 

Media Contacts: 91亚色 Media Relations and External Communications, media@yorku.ca

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$4.2 million investment will accelerate nursing programs and create new education seats

June 05, 2025, TORONTO 鈥� The Ontario government is investing over $4.2 million to expand nursing education across the province. These investments will improve access to care by ensuring more nurses are trained and ready to work in communities across Ontario.

鈥淏y investing in education and accelerating training for nurses, our government is protecting Ontario and building on our progress to grow our nursing workforce for years to come,鈥� said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. 鈥淭hese investments will help ensure families can connect to the care they need no matter where they live, while also supporting the next generation of health-care professionals.鈥�

The government is investing $2 million to support the launch of an accelerated registered nursing (RN) degree program at four post-secondary institutions to allow students to complete their undergraduate program within three to three-and-a-half years, instead of four years, enabling nurses to enter the workforce sooner. Conestoga College (Kitchener), St. Lawrence College (Kingston), Western University (London) and 91亚色 (Toronto) will receive up to $500,000 to support the development and implementation of the accelerated nursing program, beginning in the 2025鈥�26 and 2026鈥�27 academic years.

In addition, Ontario is investing $750,000 to support the inclusion of RN prescribing education into the undergraduate nursing curriculum at Georgian College (Barrie), Humber Polytechnic (Toronto) and the University of Windsor, enabling nurses to play a greater role in patient care by prescribing medication. This will make Ontario the first jurisdiction in Canada to include RN prescribing in undergraduate programs.

鈥淥ntario鈥檚 world-class colleges and universities are training the health-care workforce of today, and tomorrow,鈥� said Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. 鈥淭his critical investment will equip our province鈥檚 nursing students with the skills and education they need to get into the health-care workforce at a quicker rate and deliver excellent care in communities across the province.鈥�

Finally, to support access to health care in northern and rural Ontario, the province is investing nearly $1.5 million to expand the capacity for nursing programs at Confederation College in Thunder Bay and Cambrian College in Sudbury. This funding will help increase enrolment and create new clinical placement opportunities by adding 50 new registered practical nursing seats at Confederation College and 17 at Cambrian College.

Through , the Ontario government continues to take bold and decisive action to grow the province鈥檚 highly skilled health-care workforce and ensure people and their families have access to high-quality care closer to home for generations to come.

Quick Facts

• The government is investing $56.8 million over the next three years to support an enrolment increase of nursing spaces at publicly assisted colleges and universities by over 2,200 registered and registered practical nurses and nurse practitioners. In addition, this funding will support continued investments in innovative, flexible, online nursing pathways.
• Since 2018, Ontario has seen a record-breaking number of new health-care professionals join the workforce, adding nearly 100,000 new nurses with another 30,000 nurses currently studying at Ontario colleges and universities.
• On December 4, 2023, the Nursing Act, 1991 was amended to allow RNs in Ontario to prescribe specific medications and to communicate a diagnosis for the purpose of prescribing.
• Since , 671 registered nurses have completed the training and are authorized to prescribe.
• Ontario is investing $743 million over three years to continue to address immediate health-care staffing needs, as well as to grow the workforce for years to come.
  

Media contacts:

Ema Popovic
Minister Jones鈥� Office
ema.popovic@ontario.ca

Media Relations
Communications Branch
media.moh@ontario.ca

Reposted from the Government of Ontario newsroom. .

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