Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health

What Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health does

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDG Public Health) is a government public health agency mandated by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care under the Ontario Public Health Standards to deliver public health services to the residents of Wellington County, Dufferin County, and the City of Guelph. The agency operates three fixed offices (Guelph headquarters, Orangeville, Fergus) and delivers programs across four functional domains: disease prevention (immunization clinics, school-based immunization, dental clinics, sexual and reproductive health clinics), health protection (food premises, personal service settings, recreational water inspections, tobacco enforcement, rabies response), health promotion (prenatal and parenting programs, substance use harm reduction, healthy babies/healthy children), and health surveillance and emergency preparedness (data dashboards, outbreak bulletins, climate-health assessments). The agency is led by Dr. Nicola Mercer as Medical Officer of Health and CEO, with a leadership team including a Director of Operations for Health Protection and a Vice President of Health Protection.

WDG Public Health's technology stack centers on a public-facing service delivery platform rather than proprietary software. Core digital assets include: GetaKit, an online STI/HIV testing platform developed with the University of Ottawa; the ClimateSafe Map, an interactive tool for cooling, warming, and clean air spaces; multiple public health data dashboards (respiratory illness, cannabis outcomes, injury trends, youth surveys, well water, zoonotic diseases); the Check Before You Choose inspection results portal; and My Health eSnapshot, a tablet-based preconception health risk assessment built on CognisantMD's Ocean platform and adapted from Boston Medical Centre's Gabby system. The agency launched a new website in February 2026 — its first major refresh in nearly a decade — with improved accessibility, search, and mobile performance.

The business model is government-funded, not commercial. Provincial Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care allocations under the Ontario Public Health Standards form the primary funding stream, supplemented by municipal contributions from Wellington County, Dufferin County, and the City of Guelph. All core services are provided free of charge to residents; some specialized programs (Canadian Dental Care Plan, Healthy Smiles Ontario, Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program) provide subsidized dental care. The customer base is the entire regional population of approximately 265,000 residents, with secondary stakeholder segments including healthcare providers, schools, food service operators, and community organizations. The agency holds no patents, has no private funding rounds, and maintains no subsidiary structure.

Name

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health

Legal name

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health

Website

https://wdgpublichealth.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health is a government-mandated public health agency serving approximately 265,000 residents across Wellington County, Dufferin County, and the City of Guelph, delivering free immunization, health inspection, sexual health, dental, and harm reduction programs funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Services

NAICS

Administration of Public Health Programs (92312)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

County/District/Local Health Departments (HLAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Child & Family Health Departments (HLAJAAAK), State/Provincial Health Department & Public Health Administration (BPAIABAH), Health Equity, Access & Social Determinants Programs (BPAIAJAO)

Keywords

• Public health services
• Immunization programs
• Health inspections
• Disease surveillance
• Sexual health clinics

Headquarters

HQ city

Guelph

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Provincial Government Funding: Funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care under the Ontario Public Health Standards. Services are publicly funded and provided at no cost to residents.
2. Municipal Contributions: Funding support from Wellington County, Dufferin County, and the City of Guelph municipal governments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health is a government public health agency that delivers mandated public health programs to residents of Wellington County, Dufferin County, and the City of Guelph. Its core offerings include immunization clinics (routine, school-based, and seasonal), sexual and reproductive health clinics, dental clinics for eligible children, youth, and seniors, prenatal and parenting education, food safety training and certification, health inspections for food premises and personal services, well water testing, disease surveillance and reporting, harm reduction and tobacco enforcement, and public health data dashboards.

Product overview

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health is a government public health agency providing a comprehensive suite of public health services and programs. The organization operates as a platform of interconnected services including immunization clinics, dental clinics, sexual and reproductive health clinics, prenatal/parenting programs, food safety training, disease reporting systems, tobacco enforcement, health teaching resources, well water testing, and various data dashboards. Services are delivered through three physical office locations (Orangeville, Guelph, and Fergus) and a recently redesigned website launched in February 2026 as the first major website update in nearly a decade, featuring integrated data dashboards, improved search functionality, and accessibility enhancements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Immunization Clinics

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of overdoses reversed (45 overdoses) with zero deaths at the Guelph Overdose Prevention Site
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GetAKit / University of OttawacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 November 2024Collaboration with GetAKit, developed as a study from the University of Ottawa, providing free laboratory-based testing for STIs (chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, hepatitis C) and HIV at-home self-testing kits. The program aims to make sexual health testing simple, private, and accessible for all residents.
• Guelph Community Health CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2018Partner in the Guelph Overdose Prevention Site (OPS), providing a safe, legal place to use drugs, harm reduction supplies, overdose response, and referrals to other services. The OPS evaluation was led by WDG Public Health in partnership with this organization and others.
• HIV/AIDS Resources and Community Health (ARCH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2018Partner in the Guelph Overdose Prevention Site (OPS), providing harm reduction services, peer support, and community health resources as part of the evaluation partnership.
• Guelph Family Health TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2018Partner in the Guelph Overdose Prevention Site evaluation, contributing healthcare provider expertise and resources to the harm reduction initiative.
• Toward Common GroundminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2018Partner in the Guelph Overdose Prevention Site evaluation, providing research and evaluation support for the initiative.
• Upper Grand District School BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool board partnership for the Choices Rewired campaign and framework to help parents understand youth choices around substance use and screen time. Also partnered on NutriSTEP nutrition screening surveillance study.
• Wellington Catholic District School BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool board partnership for the Choices Rewired campaign to support parents in addressing youth substance use and screen time issues.
• Dufferin CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partnership supporting overnight camp emergency preparedness workshops and broader public health initiatives in Dufferin County.
• Wellington CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partnership supporting overnight camp emergency preparedness workshops and broader public health initiatives in Wellington County.
• Region of Waterloo Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to conduct a Climate Change and Health Vulnerability Assessment (CCHVA) to synthesize available data and evidence to help inform adaptation planning with the goal of reducing climate-related health risks.
• Take Action on Radon (Health Canada)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational initiative funded by Health Canada partnered with WDG Public Health and Wellington County Library for the 100 Radon Test Kit Challenge, providing free radon test kits to Wellington County residents.
• Wellington County LibraryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for the 100 Radon Test Kit Challenge, distributing free radon test kits to Wellington County residents through library locations.
• Boston Medical CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Boston Medical Centre to adapt The Gabby Preconception Care System for use in the Canadian physician/PCP setting as My Health eSnapshot.
• CognisantMD (Ocean Platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationUsed the Ocean health information technology platform by CognisantMD to program and implement My Health eSnapshot, enabling integration with electronic medical records at primary care sites.
• Guelph and Wellington Task Force to Eliminate PovertycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWDG Public Health is a member of this task force committed to working collaboratively to take local action and advocate for system and policy change to address the root causes of poverty.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Toronto Public Health: Toronto Public Health is the largest Ontario local public health unit, operating under the same Ontario Public Health Standards as WDG. It delivers an analogous mandate of immunization, health inspections, sexual health clinics, and surveillance across a much larger urban population, making it the closest functional comparator for service-mix and regulatory framework.
• Region of Waterloo Public Health: Region of Waterloo Public Health is a neighboring Ontario health unit operating under the identical Ontario Public Health Standards, and is already a documented WDG partner on the Climate Change and Health Vulnerability Assessment. Geographic proximity and shared jurisdiction type make it a highly relevant operational peer.
• Peel Public Health: Peel Public Health serves the Region of Peel under the same Ontario Public Health Standards, delivering the same mandated program categories (immunization, sexual health, inspections, harm reduction). It is one of the largest Ontario health units by population served, providing a relevant scale benchmark.
• Ottawa Public Health: Ottawa Public Health serves the City of Ottawa under the same Ontario Public Health Standards and is the academic/research counterpart for the GetaKit partnership with the University of Ottawa. Its urban service portfolio mirrors WDG's program structure and regulatory framework.
• Halton Region Public Health: Halton Region Public Health is an Ontario health unit operating under the Ontario Public Health Standards with a comparable suburban-rural population profile to WDG. Its program mix and service delivery model closely parallel WDG's operations.
• Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit: Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit serves a mixed urban-rural Ontario population under the same Ontario Public Health Standards. Its geographic mix of small cities, rural communities, and seasonal populations aligns closely with WDG's Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph profile.
• Middlesex-London Health Unit: Middlesex-London Health Unit delivers public health services to London and Middlesex County under the same Ontario Public Health Standards. It is a relevant peer for service portfolio and academic health system linkages (Western University).
• Durham Region Health Department: Durham Region Health Department is an Ontario regional health unit operating under the Ontario Public Health Standards with a comparable suburban-rural population profile. Its program breadth and delivery model are analogous to WDG's.
• York Region Public Health: York Region Public Health serves one of Ontario's fastest-growing regions under the same Ontario Public Health Standards. It is a relevant operational peer given its mixed urban-suburban population and comprehensive service portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Public Health Ontario: Public Health Ontario is the provincial arms-length agency that sets evidence-based guidance, surveillance, and laboratory support for Ontario's 34 local health units including WDG. As the system-wide backbone, it is a broader incumbent that indirectly shapes WDG's operating environment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wellington-dufferin-guelph-public-health
• Xx.com/wdgpublichealth
• Facebookfacebook.com/WDGPublicHealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health