April 21, 2016 - Board of Health Agenda

Complete Agenda Package (PDF 8.5MB)

Thursday, April 21, 2016 - 7:00 p.m.
399 Ridout Street North
Side Entrance, (Recessed Door)
Board of Health Boardroom

Disclosure of Conflicts Of Interest

Approval of Agenda

Approval of Minutes

Public Session - March 10, 2016

Receive: January 21, 2016 - Governance Committee
Receive: Draft April 7, 2016 - Finance and Facilities Committee

Business Arising From the Minutes

Delegations

7:05 - 7:15 p.m.
Mr. Wally Adams, Director, Environmental Health & Infectious Diseases, re: Item #6 - Recognition of volunteeer Arabic speaking interpreters (Report No. 025-16).

7:15 - 7:25 p.m.
Ms. Trish Fulton, Chair, Finance and Facilities Committee, re: Item #1 - Finance and Facilities Committee Meeting April 7, 2016 (Report No. 021-16).

7:25 - 7:40 p.m.
Chair –Elect, Governance Committee, re: Item #2 – Governance Committee Meeting April 21, 2016.

7:40 - 7:50 p.m.
Ms. Laura Dueck, Public Health Nurse and BFI Lead re: Item # 2 - Baby Friendly Initiative (Report No. 022-16).

Other Business

• Next Finance and Facilities Committee Meeting: Tuesday May 3, 2016 @ 9:00 a.m.
• Next Board of Health Meeting: Thursday, May 19, 2016 @ 7:00 p.m.

Confidential

The Board of Health will move in camera to discuss the following items:

• A matter concerning an identifiable individual.
• A matter concerning the security of property held by the Middlesex-London Board of Health.
• To approve minutes from its March 10, 2016 in camera session regarding a matter of proposed or pending acquisition of land.

Correspondence

a) Date: 2016 February 25 (Received 2016 February 26)
Topic: Herpes Zoster Vaccine
From: Peterborough County-City Health Unit
To: The Honourable Dr. Eric Hoskins

Background:
The Middlesex-London Health Unit offers Zostavax vaccine to provide protection against Shingles (also called the herpes zoster virus) for those over the age of 60. Individuals are charged a fee for this vaccination as it is not currently included in the list of publicly funded vaccines in Ontario.

Recommendation:
Receive.

b) Date: 2016 February 29
Topic: Patients First Response
From: Association of Local Public Health Agencies
To: The Honorable Dr. Eric Hoskins

Background:
Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care was announced in December 2015 and focuses on four key objectives:

• Access: Improve access – providing fast access to the right care.
• Connect: Connect services – delivering better coordinated and integrated care in the community, closer to home.
• Inform: Support people and patients – providing the education, information and transparency they need to make the right decisions about their health.
• Protect: Protect our universal public health care system – making evidence based decisions on value and quality, to sustain the system for generations to come.

The Association of Local Public Health Agencies prepared recommendations and finalized these at the alPHa Board meeting on February 26th. The five recommendations included:

1. Funding and Accountability – Provincial Public Health Funding and Accountability Agreements must continue to be negotiated directed between local boards of health and the MOHLTC.
2. Independent Voice of Board of Health – Board of health must be maintained as defined in the Health Protection and Promotion Act, directly accountable to the Minister of Health.
3. Integration of Local Population and Public health Planning with Other Health Services – The Ontario Public Health Standards and Organizational Standards, as required, should be modified to require boards of health to align their work and ensure that population and public health priorities inform LHIN health planning, funding and delivery.
4. Process for Determining Roles – The roles of boards of health, LHINS, and others must be determined through a transparent, inclusive and deliberate process informed by evidence.
5. Geographic Boundaries – LHIN boundaries should be re-configured to align with municipal, local public health, education and social service boundaries.

Recommendation:
Endorse.

c) Date: 2016 March 7
Topic: Enactment of Legislation to Enforce Infection Prevention & Control Practices within Invasive Personal Service Settings
From: Sudbury & District Health Unit
To: The Honourable Kathleen Wynne

Background:
On January 1, 2009, the OPHS and Protocols replaced the Mandatory Health Programs and Services Guidelines (MHPSG), 1997. Additional changes to the OPHS will take place in 2016 as a result of three initiatives: 1) Integrating the Healthy Smiles Ontario Program; 2) Amendments to the Smoke Free Ontario Act; and 3) Implementation of the Electronic Cigarettes Act.

Currently, there are no infection prevention and control training requirements for personal service setting operators. The recent changes to the Ontario Public Health Standards did not address the potential to implement legal requirements for infection prevention and control training and operator responsibility in personal service settings (PSS).

Recommendation:
Receive.

d) Date: 2016 March 3 (received 2016 March 8)
Topic: Implementation of the Nursing Graduate Guarantee
From: The Honourable Dr. Eric Hoskins
To: Mr. Ian Peer
Background:
The Nursing Graduate Guarantee Initiative is designed to support Canadian New Graduate Nurses (Registered Nurses and Registered Practical Nurses) by providing them with a full-time job opportunity.

The Ministry of Health and Long Term care provides funding to employers for temporary, full-time positions for 26 weeks for new nurse graduates (NNG). Under the conditions of the agreement, MLHU pays six-weeks of salary for each NNG as the organization is unable to offer immediate, full-time employment.

Recommendation:
Receive.

e) Date: 2016 March 7
Topic: Grey Bruce Health Unit Brief in Response to Patients First Discussion
From: Dr. Hazel Lynn, Medical Officer of Health, Grey Bruce Public Health
To: all Ontario Boards of Health

Background:
See item (b) above.

Recommendation:
Receive.

f) Date: 2016 February 22 (Received 2016 March 9)
Topic: Environmental Health Program Funding – BOH Resolution
From: Dr. James Chirico, Medical Officer of Health & CEO, North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit
To: The Honourable Dr. Eric Hoskins

Background:
There have been several recent changes to legislation involving the work of environmental health teams throughout Ontario. These changes and the corresponding increases in services that are being provided have not come with commensurate resources or staff training.

Recommendation:
Receive.

g) Date: 2016 February 22 (Received 2016 March 9)
Topic: Bill 139: Smoke-Free Schools Act – BOH Resolution
From: Dr. James Chirico, Medical Officer of Health & CEO, North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit
To: The Honourable Dr. Eric Hoskins

Background:
Bill 139: Smoke-Free Schools Act would amend the Smoke Free Ontario Act and the Ontario Tobacco Tax Act to prohibit the sale of tobacco in schools, increase fines for offenders caught selling contraband tobacco, suspend drivers licenses for those using a motor vehicle to transport contraband tobacco, allow the sharing of proceeds of disposition or forfeited property with police forces and for the province to establish a public education campaign regarding the risk of tobacco use.

This Bill was introduced into the Ontario Legislature by MPP Todd Smith (Prince Edward-Hastings) and has been referred to the Standing Committee on General Government.

Recommendation:
Receive.

h) Date: 2016 March 2 (Received 2016 March 10)
Topic: Basic Income Guarantee
From: Doug Auld, Board of Health Chair, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health
To: The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos

Background:
The Board of Health considered a report at the September 17th meeting and approved that the Board: 1) Send a letter to the Prime Minister of Canada, the Premier of Ontario and the Ontario Minister Responsible for the Poverty Reduction Strategy requesting they prioritize consideration and investigation into a joint federal-provincial basic income guarantee; and 2) Send a letter to the Premier of Ontario requesting the province increase social assistance rates to reflect the rising cost of nutritious food & safe housing.

Recommendation:
Receive.

i) Date: 2016 March 8 (received 2016 March 11)
Topic: Proposed Domestic and Sexual Violence Workplace Leave, Accommodation and Training Act
From: Dr. David McKeown, Medical Officer of Health, Toronto Public Health
To: Ms. Peggy Sattler

Background:
In Canada, domestic and sexual violence is a real and pervasive experience that many people endure. There is currently no legal workplace recognition of the tremendous physical and emotional toll this takes on people and the corresponding impact this may have on employment.

Peggy Sattler, MPP (London West) introduced Bill 177 Domestic and Sexual Violence Workplace Leave, Accommodation and Training Act to amend the Employment Standards Act, 2000 to provide leave and accommodation for victims of domestic or sexual violence and to amend the Occupational Health and Safety Act to provide information and instruction concerning domestic and sexual violence. It provides up to 10 days of paid leave for employees who have experienced domestic or sexual violence. This act has been referred to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy.

Recommendation:
Endorse.

j) Date: 2016 March 15 (received 2016 March 16)
Topic: Legislation to enforce infection prevention and control practices within invasive personal service settings
From: Scott McDonald, Board of Health Chair, Peterborough County-City Health Unit
To: The Honourable Kathleen Wynne

Background:
See item (c) above.

Recommendation:
Receive.

k) Date: 2016 March 17 (received 2016 March 18)
Topic: Association of Local Public Health Agencies Announces Update to Officers for 2015-16
From: Linda Stewart, Executive Director, alPHa
To: all Ontario Board of Health

Background:
The Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa) seeks to assist local public health units in providing efficient and effective services that meet the needs of the people of Ontario. It also strives to assist in establishing, through collaboration with other organizations, a unified and powerful voice for public health in Ontario.

Recommendation:
Receive.

l) Date: 2016 March 18
Topic: Petition to Update Ontario Fluoridation Legislation
From: Gary McNamara, Chairperson, Windsor-Essex County Board of Health
To: The Honourable Dr. Eric Hoskins

Background:
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral which is present in almost all water sources. Community water fluoridation is the process by which a water system operator adds fluoride in controlled amounts to raise naturally low fluoride levels to the optimal level of 0.7mg/L or 0.7ppm for dental health. Community Water Fluoridation is a municipal matter and decisions regarding the fluoridation of water systems are made by municipal councils.

Recommendation:
Receive.

m) Date: 2016 March 18 (Received 2016 March 23)
Topic: Smoke-Free Multi-Unit housing
From: Donald W West, CAO, Porcupine Health Unit
To: The Honourable Ted McMeekin

Background:
The Smoke-Free Ontario Act prohibits smoking in common areas and ensures that signage is posted in appropriate locations. However, people who live in multi-unit housing are at risk of being negatively affected by second-hand smoke from adjacent units. Few buildings designate their units to be smoke-free and tenants can have very little choice in their housing arrangements.

Public health units and organizations like the Non-Smokers Rights Association and Smoke-Free Housing Ontario advocate for tenant protection in these multi-unit dwellings through voluntary no-smoking policies and future development of governmental policy to facilitate the provision of smoke-free housing.

The Middlesex-London Health Unit Board of Health previously endorsed correspondence to The Honourable Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care at the June 2015 Board of Health meeting.

Recommendation:
Receive.

n) Date: 2016 March 18 (Received 2016 March 23)
Topic: Relocation of First Nations communities in Northwestern Ontario
From: Donald W West, CAO, Porcupine Health Unit
To: The Honourable Kathleen Wynne

Background:
First Nations communities in Northwestern Ontario and the James Bay coast require seasonal evacuation and relocation on a nearly annual basis. This is done in a reactionary manner without a proactive strategy to resource and maintain evacuation centres in host municipalities.

Recommendation:
Receive.

o) Date: 2016 March 24
Topic: Herpes Zoster Vaccine
From: Hazel Lynn, Medical Officer of Health, Grey Bruce Health Unit
To: The Honourable Eric Hoskins

Background:
See item (a) above.

Recommendation:
Receive.

p) Date: 2016 March 24
Topic: Enactment of Legislation to Enforce Infection Prevention and Control Practices within Invasive Personal Service Settings
From: Hazel Lynn, Medical Officer of Health, Grey Bruce Health Unit
To: The Honourable Kathleen Wynne

Background:
See item (c) above.

Recommendation:
Receive.

q) Date: 2016 March 24
Topic: Environmental Health Program Funding
From: Hazel Lynn, Medical Officer of Health, Grey Bruce Health Unit
To: The Honourable Eric Hoskins

Background:
See item (f) above.

Recommendation:
Receive.

r) Date: 2016 March 24
Topic: Bill 139: Smoke Free Schools Act
From: Hazel Lynn, Medical Officer of Health, Grey Bruce Health Unit
To: The Honourable Eric Hoskins

Background:
See item (g) above.

Recommendation:
Receive.

s) Date: 2016 March 29
Topic: alPHa Risk Management Workshops Proceedings
From: Susan Lee, Associations of Local Public Health Agencies
To: All Board of Health Members

Background:
The Middlesex-London Health Unit had several staff members and a Board member in attendance at this Risk Management Workshop. The Governance Committee reporting calendar outlines the consideration of risk management at the June / July Governance Committee meeting.

Recommendation:
Receive.

t) Date: 2016 March 29
Topic: alPHa 2016 Annual General Meeting Notice & Call for Resolutions
From: Susan Lee, Associations of Local Public Health Agencies
To: Board of Health Chairs

Background:
The Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa) seeks to assist local public health units in providing efficient and effective services that meet the needs of the people of Ontario. It also strives to assist in establishing, through collaboration with other organizations, a unified and powerful voice for public health in Ontario.

The 2016 Annual General Meeting of the Association of Local Public Health Agencies will be held in Toronto, Ontario, on Monday, June 6, 2016.

Recommendation:
Receive.

Copies of all correspondence are available for perusal from the Secretary-Treasurer.

 Adjournment