Lakeridge Health and Ontario Shores Launch New Partnership to Enhance Mental Health Care in Durham Region
(Oshawa, ON - September 1, 2026) - Lakeridge Health and Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores) are partnering to strengthen mental health and addictions care across Durham Region through a new collaboration focused on improving access to more connected, innovative care.
Together, the organizations will advance research, education, workforce training, clinical innovation and measurement of patient outcomes while strengthening advocacy for patients and families. By combining expertise, they will accelerate improvements in how mental health services are designed, delivered and evaluated across the region.
"As more people across Durham Region seek mental health and addictions care, it is clear that no single organization can meet this growing need alone," said Cynthia Davis, President and CEO, Lakeridge Health. "Lasting solutions require strong partnerships, and that’s the heart of our vision: One System. Best Health. Together, Lakeridge Health and Ontario Shores are bringing our complementary expertise together to improve how people access and experience mental health care. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to advancing exceptional, equitable and connected care through clinical excellence, education, research and innovation. Together, we're laying the foundation for a more connected mental health system that is better equipped to meet the evolving needs of our communities today and into the future."
The partnership will focus on several priority initiatives designed to improve patient care across the continuum of mental health services. One of the partnership's first priorities is developing a more coordinated model of care for people living with schizophrenia. The organizations will work together to ensure patients receive consistent, evidence-informed care from diagnosis through treatment and recovery, creating smoother transitions between hospital and community services so people receive the right care, at the right time and in the right setting.
The organizations are also working together to improve access to urgent and emergency mental health services by exploring new models of care that make it easier for people to access timely, appropriate support when and where they need it.
“Durham Region residents account for 35% of Ontario Shores’ inpatients, underscoring the importance of this partnership with Lakeridge Health,” said John Chen, President and CEO, Ontario Shores. “By bringing together Lakeridge Health’s broad system of care and Ontario Shores’ specialized expertise in evidence-based mental health treatment, recovery-oriented care and clinical innovation, we can better support people with complex mental health needs across the continuum of care.”
This partnership reflects a shared commitment by Lakeridge Health and Ontario Shores to strengthen mental health and addictions care through collaboration, clinical excellence, education and research. By bringing together their complementary expertise, the organizations are laying the foundation for more coordinated, connected care that will benefit patients, families and communities across Durham Region for years to come.
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About Lakeridge Health
Lakeridge Health is one of Ontario’s most comprehensive health systems, with five hospitals, four emergency departments, three critical care units, a long-term care home, a state-of-the-art, community-based surgical centre, and more than 30 community-based locations delivering acute, ambulatory, and long-term care. We are home to leading regional programs in cancer care, chronic kidney disease services, and critical care. In addition, Lakeridge Health offers specialty services such as a Level 3 Trauma Centre, The Shoulder Centre, thoracic surgery, gynecology oncology, eye care, and a full continuum of mental health and addictions care. Through transformative research, dynamic academic partnerships, and over 160 active clinical studies, Lakeridge Health is advancing medical knowledge and training the next generation of providers through the Queen’s–Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine Program and the LHEARN Network. Supported by nearly 9,000 staff, physicians, and volunteers, and working in collaboration with the Durham Ontario Health Team and community partners, Lakeridge Health is committed to building an integrated system of care and empowering people across Durham Region to live their best health. For more information, visit: www.lh.ca
About Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences
Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores) is a public teaching hospital providing a range of specialized assessment and treatment services to those living with complex and serious mental illness from across Ontario. Exemplary patient care is delivered through safe and evidence-based approaches where successful outcomes are achieved using best clinical practices and the latest advances in research. Patients benefit from a recovery-oriented environment of care built on compassion, inspiration and hope. For more information, visit: www.ontarioshores.ca
For more information contact:
Lakeridge Health
Strategic Communications Media
Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences
Communications Media
Cynthia Davis, President and CEO, Lakeridge Health, and John Chen, President and CEO, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, sign a Memorandum of Understanding formalizing a new partnership to strengthen mental health and addictions care across Durham Region.