We are becoming a Family Health Organization (FHO)
Ajax Family Practice and Walk-in Clinic is joining the Durham Alliance Family Health Organization in September 2026.
What is a Family Health Organization?
A Family Health Organization, usually shortened to FHO, is a group of family doctors who work together as one team to care for their patients. It is a model of primary care used across Ontario and supported by the Ministry of Health.
In an FHO, each patient is formally registered with one family doctor, who remains your main physician. Because the doctors work as a group, you also have access to the other physicians in that group when your own doctor is not available. The aim is simple. You should be able to get care from a team that knows you, without long waits and without being sent somewhere unfamiliar.
A team, not just one office
Your family doctor stays your family doctor. Behind them sits a group of physicians who share responsibility for keeping care available.
Care that is planned around you
The model rewards ongoing, preventive care rather than one off visits, so your doctor has more room to focus on your long term health.
Wider access hours
FHO groups commit to offering appointments outside standard weekday hours, including evenings and weekends.
How enrolment works
Joining an FHO is called enrolment, and you may also hear it described as rostering. It means you formally register with one family doctor as your regular physician. Enrolment is voluntary, it is free, and it does not change your OHIP coverage in any way.
Already a patient here? There is nothing you need to do
Existing patients of our physicians will move across to the Durham Alliance Family Health Organization automatically. If you are already rostered with your family doctor, no forms, appointments, or enrolment steps are required from you. You keep the same doctor, the same clinic, and the same phone number.
New patients
If you are not yet registered with a physician at our clinic, enrolment is a short process our team will walk you through.
- Speak to our teamInformation for new patients wishing to enrol is provided through the clinic. Call us or ask at reception and we will explain the current options.
- Sign the enrolment formYou will be given a short Ministry of Health registration form to review and sign. It confirms who your family doctor is.
- Bring your health cardWe need your valid Ontario health card to complete the registration.
- That is itYou gain a named family doctor, plus access to the wider group when your own doctor is away.
Questions about enrolment?
Speak to our reception team on your next visit, or call us on (905) 686-4444 and we will take you through it.
You are always free to change your mind
Enrolling does not lock you in. You can change family doctors or end your enrolment at any time, and you will never be refused care in an emergency because of your enrolment status.
What this means for you
The change is mostly behind the scenes. What you should notice is that care becomes easier to reach and more joined up.
- Better access to appointments, including same day and urgent visits when you are unwell.
- Evening and weekend availability so you do not have to take time off work for routine care.
- Care from doctors who share your records, so you are not repeating your history at every visit.
- Stronger follow up on screening, vaccinations, and long term conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
- Someone to call after hours for medical advice, instead of defaulting to the emergency department.
- No cost to you. Enrolment is covered by OHIP and there is no fee to join.
What you can expect from us
Enrolment is a two way commitment. Here is what our clinic and our physicians commit to providing.
Timely appointments
We hold time in our daily schedule for patients who need to be seen quickly for a new or urgent concern.
Continuity of care
You see your own family doctor whenever possible. When they are unavailable, you are seen by another physician within our group who can access your chart.
Coordinated referrals
We arrange specialist referrals, imaging, and lab work, and we follow up on the results with you.
Extended hours
Our group offers appointments outside standard weekday hours, including evenings and weekends.
Same day and urgent appointments
If you become unwell and need to be seen quickly, call us first. We keep appointments open each day for patients with urgent concerns, and our on site walk-in clinic gives our patients another route to same day care.
| Service | Monday to Friday | Saturday and Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| Family practice office | 9:00am to 5:00pm | 10:00am to 2:00pm |
| Walk-in clinic | 9:00am to 7:00pm | 10:00am to 2:00pm |
Walk-in registration times
Monday to Friday, walk-in registration opens at 9:00am. Afternoon registration resumes after lunch at 1:00pm. Registration stays open until we reach full capacity for the day.
If you are having a medical emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department. Do not wait for an appointment.
Evening and weekend after-hours care
Family Health Organizations are required to offer care outside standard weekday office hours, and our group takes that commitment seriously. We run an after-hours clinic to support our patients in the evenings and at weekends, at the same address you already visit us at.
| After-hours clinic | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday | 5:00pm to 8:00pm |
| Friday | 5:00pm to 7:00pm |
| Saturday and Sunday | 10:00am to 2:00pm |
Where to come
901 Harwood Avenue North, Unit 101
Ajax, Ontario
This is our usual clinic address, so there is no new location to find.
For medical advice or assistance
Call (905) 686-4444.
If you are unwell outside office hours, call us first and our team will tell you where and when you can be seen.
Our on site walk-in clinic also runs until 7:00pm on weekdays and opens on both Saturday and Sunday, giving our patients a further route to care when a concern comes up outside a normal appointment slot.
When we are closed
For non-urgent medical advice at any hour of the day or night, Ontario residents can call Health811 by dialling 811, or visit health811.ontario.ca, to speak with a registered nurse free of charge.
Please contact us first
For any non-emergency medical concern, we ask that you contact our clinic before going elsewhere, such as an outside walk-in clinic or the emergency department. There are two good reasons for this.
The first is your care. Our physicians hold your full medical history, your medication list, and your test results. A clinic that has never seen you before has none of that, which makes it harder to give you safe advice and easier for something to be missed.
The second is that FHO groups are funded on the understanding that enrolled patients receive their routine care from within the group. When patients are seen elsewhere for concerns we could have handled, it draws funding away from the clinic and from the services we can offer you.
To be clear
This is a request, not a restriction. You will never be penalised, charged, or refused care for going elsewhere, and you should always go straight to an emergency department or call 911 in an emergency. We simply ask that you give us the first opportunity to help.
Durham Alliance Family Health Organization
At this time, the Durham Alliance Family Health Organization includes the following physicians practising at our clinic.
Dr. Nasra Warsame
Dr. Stephen Uslinov
Dr. Kristina Ramgobin
Dr. Kazeem Olorukooba
Dr. Marwan Mashaly
Dr. Shenelle SiriwardenaWe are pleased to continue providing comprehensive family medicine, urgent care, and after-hours services to our patients through the Family Health Organization model.
Continuity of care across our network
Seeing the same doctor over time is one of the strongest predictors of good health outcomes. It is the reason the FHO model is built around a named family physician rather than whoever happens to be free.
Your own family doctor remains your first point of contact. When they are on holiday, off sick, or fully booked, you will be offered an appointment with another physician within our FHO. Because our doctors work from shared records, whoever sees you can read your history and pick up where your own doctor left off, then hand your care back when they return.
If you are ever unsure who to see or where to go, call the clinic and ask. Our team would always rather point you in the right direction than have you sit on a problem or wait in an emergency department for something we could have handled.
Common questions
Does enrolling cost me anything?
No. Enrolment is covered by OHIP. There is no fee to join and no change to the coverage you already have.
Do I have to enrol?
No. Enrolment is voluntary. We do encourage it, because it is what allows us to offer you the extended access and follow up described on this page.
Will I still see my own doctor?
Yes. You stay registered with your family doctor and you will see them whenever they are available. The group exists so that you still have somewhere to go when they are not.
Can I still use the walk-in clinic?
Yes. Our walk-in clinic operates at the same address and remains open to you. Please use ours rather than an outside walk-in clinic wherever you can, so that your visit is recorded in your own chart.
What if I am travelling or away from home?
If you need care while away from the Durham region, go ahead and seek it locally. Enrolment is never intended to stop you getting care when you are out of the area. Let us know when you are back so we can update your record.
What happens if I want to leave?
You can end your enrolment or change to a different family doctor at any time. Just let our team know.
Questions about the change?
Our team is happy to walk you through what enrolment means for you and your family. Call us, or speak to reception on your next visit.