LHIN continues to talk with people across the region

North East LHIN
News Release

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The North East LHIN has been engaging people from across the region since April of this year, and the engagement continues. Engage 2009 is about seeking input from all corners of the region to help determine local health care priorities. The engagement process will feed into the development of the LHIN’s second Integrated Health Service Plan (IHSP) a strategic plan that will set the health care priorities for our region and will guide all activities, programs and structures of the NE LHIN between 2010 and 2013.

Engage 2009 is using a variety of ways to seek people’s input, including an on-line forum(www.nelhin.on.ca/engage2009), open houses (close to 100 people have attended thus far, two more open houses are planned), and ongoing meetings with health service providers.

Two more open houses are being planned for the month of July in Sundridge (July 6) and Sturgeon Falls (July 7).
Individuals with comments on health care priorities in their community can visit www.nelhin.on.ca/engage2009 to participate. After September 30, all comments will be incorporated into the final IHSP which the NE LIN will submit to the ministry by November, 2009.

QUOTES

NE LHIN CEO Remy Beaudoin says, “The comments we have received thus far have been very insightful. Our community’s challenges with alternate level of care patients, long wait times in emergency departments and high levels of chronic disease in our region have been emphasized by people living in remote, rural and urban communities.

Some of the comments received anomalously through the on-line forum thus far include:

“Integration of health care services will help to re-shape our system and get us to a better, more fiscally responsible and more patient-focused place.”

“There needs to be a central contact that seniors and their families can go to to determine the services and support available to them.”

“Home care availability is a huge issue that needs to be resolved.”

“Professional schools need to provide additional seats for students seeking the opportunity to become doctors.”

QUICK FACTS

 Engage 2009 involves a refresh of the NE LHIN’s first strategic plan entitled the Integrated Health Service Plan (IHSP).

 The first IHSP was published in December, 2006. It was a three-year plan. The current IHSP refresh will reflect priorities from 2010 to 2013.

 Local Health Integration Networks were created to work with the local citizens and the provincial government to transform the Ontario health care system.

LEARN MORE
Visit: www.nelhin.on.ca/engage2009 or contact: Cynthia Stables, NE LHIN Senior Corporate Advisor, (705) 845-1887

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