Extendicare St. Catharines

Haliburton Highlands Ontario Health Team 'in development' phase

For immediate release: July 29, 2019

For more information please contact:

Carolyn Plummer

President and CEO

Haliburton Highlands Health Services

cplummer@hhhs.ca

Phone: 705-457-2527

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Haliburton Highlands Ontario Health Team ‘in development’ phase.

In May 2019 local health services organizations in the Haliburton Highlands area responded to the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care’s (MOHLTC) call for the establishment of Ontario Health Teams (OHTs). The establishment of OHTs is a key component of the MOHLTC’s recently announced plans to transform Ontario’s health system.

A robust collaboration of local health service provider partners completed a self-assessment proposing a Haliburton Highlands Ontario Health Team (HHOHT).

The proposed HHOHT would bring together as partners, various local health services providers who already have extensive experience working together to provide comprehensive and integrated health care, and developing innovative solutions to improve access to care for the Haliburton Highlands population. Building on previous collaborations such as the Rural Health Hub and Youth Wellness Hub, the HHOHT partners represent the full spectrum of health services, including hospital, primary care, home care, community services, mental health, long-term care, and midwifery services.

On July 18th, 2019, the MOHLTC announced the results of the first round of self-assessments. Of the 157 OHT self-assessments received, 31 teams have been asked to complete a full application and 43 teams, including the HHOHT, have been placed in the ‘in-development’ category. According to the MOHLTC criteria these are teams that are close to being ready to submit a full-application and have demonstrated a high degree of readiness. These applications will receive active and targeted support from the MOHLTC to get them ready for full application later this year. HHOHT’s application demonstrated a high degree of commitment to a shared vision of patient and community engagement, governance and accountability and the partners will continue to build on these strengths as they move forward in the application process. HHOHT partners are enthusiastic and energized by this feedback and look forward to realizing the full potential of becoming an OHT.

For more information about how the MOHLTC is transforming the health system, visit:

https://www.ontario.ca/page/improving-health-care-ontario?_ga=2.46703779.508492075.1558462154-961362061.1529521769

HHOHT Partners include:

  • Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS)
  • Haliburton Highlands Family Health Team (HHFHT)
  • Point in Time Centre for Children, Youth and Parents (PINT)
  • Kawartha North Family Health Team (KNFHT)
  • Midwifery Services of Haliburton-Bancroft (MSHB)
  • Extendicare
  • ParaMed
  • CarePartners

The HHOHT partnership would also be supported by affiliate organizations, who have indicated they expect to collaborate with the HHOHT as it develops; these include the Haliburton Family Health Organization and the Haliburton County Paramedic Service. Other supporters of the HHOHT proposal include the Haliburton-Kawartha-Pine Ridge Public Health Unit and Central East Seniors Care Network as well as the Peterborough Regional Health Centre and Ross Memorial Hospital.

HHOHT Partner Quotes:

Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS)

“HHHS is delighted with the positive feedback and is excited to move to the next step of making a seamless health care experience in the Highlands a reality,” said Carolyn Plummer, President and CEO at HHHS. “We are excited to continue building on the success of the strong partnerships that already exist, and to identify new opportunities to proactively improve health outcomes for our patients and overall wellness for our community.”

Haliburton Highlands Family Health Team (HHFHT):

Kim Robinson, Executive Director of the HHFHT, stated “We are thrilled to be part of the next phase of development for the HHOHT and look forward to continued partnerships and building a solid foundation for rural health care delivery in the Highlands.”

Point in Time Centre for Children, Youth and Parents (PINT):

“Point in Time for Children, Youth and Parents is excited to be moving forward to our shared goal of improving health care in Haliburton Highlands through the creation of an Ontario Health Team. We look forward to working with our partners and community members to shape the future of health care in Haliburton County,” said Marg Cox, Executive Director of Point in Time.

Kawartha North Family Health Team (KNFHT):

“The board of Kawartha North Family Health Team and Executive Director Marina Hodson are thrilled to be a part of the application for the HHOHT.”

Extendicare and ParaMed:

“We look forward to working with our partners on the HHOHT to create a seamless care experience for patients, residents, and clients,” said Michael Harris, Vice President of LTC Operations.

CarePartners:

Craig McCleary, Director of Operations – Central East Nursing and Personal Support Services at CarePartners, stated “CarePartners is pleased to be a partner in the development of the HHOHT submission. Reaching this milestone tells us that we are on the correct path and we are looking forwards to the phase of our submission towards full OHT status.”