Overview

Ontario’s Integrated Community Health Services Centres (ICHSC) Program (formerly known as the Independent Health Facilities Program) oversees the licensing of community surgical and diagnostic centres, formerly known as Independent Health Facilities.

Integrated Community Health Services Centres (ICHSCs)

The centres are licensed under the Integrated Community Health Services Centres Act to perform OHIP insured, low-acuity surgeries and diagnostic procedures in the community including:

  • cataract and other eye surgeries
  • plastic surgeries (OHIP insured)
  • minimally invasive gynecological surgery
  • abortion
  • birth centres
  • dialysis
  • routine diagnostic imaging
  • MRI/CT and PET scans
  • nuclear medicine
  • pulmonary function studies
  • sleep studies

Learn more about community surgical and diagnostic centres.

Integrated Community Health Services Centres Act, 2023

The Integrated Community Health Services Centres Act, 2023 (ICHSCA) and its regulations provides the funding, licensing and quality assurance framework for the sector.

It requires licensed centres to comply with mandatory quality and safety standards to protect patient care. It also prohibits centres from charging anyone other than the ministry or Ontario Health (for example, patients) for facility costs relating to insured services.

Becoming a community surgical and diagnostic centre

New centres are created through a calls for applications process, under the provisions of the Integrated Community Health Services Centres Act, 2023 (ICHSCA).

Future calls for applications will be publicly communicated on this webpage.

Expanding MRI and CT services

As part of Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, we are continuing to expand community-based surgeries and procedures so more people can get the care they need faster and closer to home.

Currently, there are 7 existing community surgical and diagnostic centres that are licensed to provide MRI and/or CT imaging services in Ontario.

By licensing additional centres, we are making it easier and faster for people to access the publicly-funded MRIs and CT scans they need.

Call for applications

A province-wide call for applications has been issued to license more community surgical and diagnostic centres to be able to provide MRI and CT scan services.

The application package is posted here:

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Responses to questions about the Call for Application process, Application Guidelines and/or the Application Form have been compiled into frequently asked questions.

Eligibility

All eligibility information can be found in the ‘Applicant Eligibility’ section in the Application Guidelines document.

Applying for multiple health facilities

If you are submitting an application for multiple health facilities, you must submit separate applications for each facility. Each application will be evaluated separately.

The number of new MRI and CT licences issued will be informed by considering the needs of each region.

Proposed service volumes

As part of the application, applicants must provide the proposed service volumes they anticipate being able to deliver at their proposed health facility, as well as the annual service volumes anticipated to be viable for at least the next five years.

We will set volumes with successful applicants at the time of issuing an ICHSC licence with volumes informed by regional needs.

Facility cost

Facility cost is the term in the Act for facility funding that the ministry provides to community ICHSCs. This funding supports the overhead costs for providing the licensed insured service at an ICHSC.

Facility cost funding is the only funding that the ministry provides to an ICHSC.

The ministry does not provide ICHSCs with funding for:

  • the establishment of a new Health Facility
  • acquisition, installation, replacement of MRI or CT scanners
  • renovation or expansion of an existing Health Facility
  • any other capital or leasehold improvements

Physician professional fees for OHIP-insured services are separate from facility costs.

Facility cost for MRI and CT services

For ICHSCs that provide licensed MRI or CT services, the ministry provides facility cost funding under an hourly payment model.

  • The facility cost for eligible MRI scans will be paid at $297 per hour.
  • The facility cost for eligible insured CT scans will be paid at $250 per hour.

Webinars about calls for applications

A series of webinars will be held to provide information on the launch of calls for applications for new community surgical and diagnostic centre licences.

Future webinars

There will be upcoming webinars on future calls for applications to provide additional information.

Once a call for applications is issued, all details, including eligibility requirements, will be listed on this webpage. Details may change based on the type of services listed in the call.

Read through some of the requirements in the Integrated Community Health Services Centres Act, 2023, Section 5 if you’re interested in participating in future call for applications.

Future calls for applications

A total of three calls for applications are planned in 2024 to expand ICHSCs for:

  • MRI/CT imaging services
  • GI Endoscopy procedures
  • Orthopedic surgeries

The MRI/CT call for applications is the only call for applications that is currently open. Details for the remaining two calls will be shared as information becomes available.

Contact

You can contact the Integrated Community Health Services Centres Program by:

  • mail:
    Ministry of Health
    Health Insurance Branch
    Integrated Community Health Services Centres Program
    49 Place d’Armes, 5th Floor
    Kingston ON K7L 5J3
  • phone: 613-548-6637
  • fax: 613-548-6734
  • email: ICHSC@ontario.ca

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