Russell asks residents which health services they want locally
Russell Township is asking residents which health services they want in their community and whether they would prefer those services in one location or connected across separate locations.
The online survey, announced Oct. 8, takes five to 10 minutes. The township asks residents to complete it before Nov. 8.
It asks six things:
- How could health care in Russell Township improve?
- What would better-coordinated care look like?
- Would you prefer services together in one location, or separate services that communicate well? “No preference” and “Other” are also options.
- Which services would you like locally? Respondents can select family medicine, imaging, walk-in care, urgent care, after-hours care, mental-health services, pediatrics, sports medicine, support for complex chronic diseases, and palliative care.
- Would you share your experiences to help guide improvements?
- If yes, what name and email should the taskforce use to contact you?
“Your feedback will help inform future healthcare planning and ensure community needs are heard and considered,” the township says in its notice.
The consultation follows municipal plans and council reports examining physician recruitment, support for existing practices and a possible community health hub.
Council adopted a community and economic development strategic plan in October 2025 that identified physician recruitment and the long-term development of a health hub in the Russell-Embrun corridor as a priority. The plan called for collaboration with a community physician recruitment committee and the Great River Ontario Health Team.
Great River Ontario Health Team is a regional partnership of hospitals, family doctors and community-service organizations working to coordinate care. It operates within Ontario’s provincial health-team model, rather than as a government department or a single private clinic.
Its partners include the Russell Family Health Organization and Winchester District Memorial Hospital.
A February 2026 report to council described work with local family physicians on recruitment, retention and clinical space. It also included a January report from the Russell Township Health Care Taskforce exploring options to strengthen primary care.
A subsequent staff report described the taskforce as citizen-led, with members bringing experience in health policy, mental health, law, research, public service and community development. Township staff provided coordination.
The May report said the taskforce and township had developed an action plan focused on supporting the Russell Family Health Organization. Proposed work included strengthening administrative support, identifying suitable clinical space and helping new recruits and their families settle locally.
The action plan sought to establish the governance, space and administrative capacity for the organization to grow from three to six physicians.
Council approved using its Growth Reserve to fund an external consultant on May 25. Staff estimated the costs at $10,000 to $15,000.
The proposed mandate combined immediate recruitment support with longer-term work on partnerships, governance and a more integrated health hub. The action plan allowed for a centralized or decentralized hub but the reports did not establish a final location or service mix. A comprehensive health-care needs assessment was anticipated in 2027.
The township’s current health-care initiatives page also describes two $5,000 physician signing bursaries included in the 2026 budget. The program opened April 16, with half of each bursary payable on signing an employment contract and completing the paperwork, and the remainder after six months of local employment.
A strategic-plan progress report scheduled for council’s Oct. 13 meeting says current efforts centre on stabilizing existing physician capacity and advancing a community health hub.
Residents can complete the questionnaire online.