December 10, 2015 - Agenda

Complete Agenda Package (PDF 5MB)

Thursday, December 10, 2015 - 6:00 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

Delegations

6:05 – 6:20 p.m. Ms. Trish Fulton, Chair, Finance and Facilities Committee re Item #1 - Finance and Facilities Committee Meetings November and December

6:20 – 6:35 p.m. Ms. Laura DiCesare, Director of Human Resources and Corporate Strategy and Dr. Chris Mackie, Medical Officer of Health and CEO, re Item #2 - Middlesex-London Health Unit Organizational Structure

Confidential

The Board of Health will move in camera to discuss matters concerning an identifiable individual.

Other Business - Upcoming Meetings

• Next Finance and Facilities Committee Meeting: Thursday, January 14, 2016 @ 9:00 a.m.
• Next Governance Committee Meeting: Thursday, January 21, 2016 @ 6:00 p.m.
• Next Board of Health Meeting: Thursday, January 21, 2016 @ 7:00 p.m.

Correspondence

a) Date: 2015 October 21 (via email)

Topic: Changes to the Municipal Act to Authorize the Use of Electronic Means of Participation of Local Boards and Committees of Local Boards
From: Mr. James King, Acting Correspondence Writer, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
To: Ms. Sherri Sanders, Executive Assistant to the Board of Health, MLHU

Background:
At the September 17th, 2015 meeting, the Middlesex-London Board of Health passed a motion to endorse a letter from the Chair of Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health and drafted correspondence to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care requesting changes to the Municipal Act to authorize the use of electronic means for participating in board of health meetings.

Recommendation: Receive.

b) Date: 2015 October 26 (Received 2015 October 27)

Topic: Northern Ontario Evacuations of First Nations Communities
From: Copy of Correspondence from Ms. Teresa Barresi, Chair, Board of Health, Perth District Health Unit
To: The Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario

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.

c) Date: 2015 October 27 (Received 2015 November 2)

Topic: Changes to the Municipal Act to Authorize the Use of Electronic Means of Participation of Local Boards and Committees of Local Boards
From: Ms. Nancy Manthei, Administrative Coordinator, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
To: Mr. Ian Peer, Chair, Middlesex-London Board of Health

Background:
See item (a) above.

Recommendation: Receive.

d) Date: 2015 October 28 (Received 2015 November 6)

Topic: Northern Ontario Evacuations of First Nations Communities
From: Copy of Correspondence from Mr. Lee Mason, Chair, Board of Health, Algoma Public Health
To: The Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario

Background:
See correspondence item (b).

Recommendation: Receive.

e) Date: 2015 October 30 (via email)

Topic: Second-hand Smoke in Multi-Unit Dwellings
From: Ms. Cindy Crandall, Executive Assistant to MOH/BOH, Northwestern Health Unit
To: All Ontario Health Units

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 Board of Health meeting.

Recommendation: Receive.

f) Date: 2015 October 30 (Received 2015 November 2)

Topic: Special Needs Strategy Proposal
From: Copy of correspondence from Ms. Alison Morse and Ms.Vesna Fernandez, Co-Chairs, Special Needs Strategy Implementation Committee
To: Ontario Ministries of Children and Youth Services, Health and Long-Term Care, Community and Social Services, and Education

Background:
This correspondence was sent regarding the Special Needs Strategy Proposal and suggested that an increase of funding was needed to optimally meet the needs of children in the community and at school. The Board of Health considered a report on this matter at the October meeting and requested a letter be sent to indicate we do not support a decrease in our funding.

Recommendation: Receive.

g) Date: 2015 November 2 (Received 2015 November 6)

Topic: Public Health Funding
From: Copy of correspondence from Ms. Heather Jackson, Chair, Elgin St. Thomas Board of Health
To: The Honourable Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

Background:
A funding review workgroup was struck in 2010 to investigate the status of public health funding in Ontario and to advise the ministry on a potential funding model and principles to guide its implementation. The report produced by the workgroup was accepted and the Ministry will begin to implement the new model in 2015. Two percent growth funding (approx. $11 million) for mandatory programs is being distributed to public health units who have not reached their model-based share – the Middlesex-London Health Unit is one of these health units.

Several health units across the province have expressed concern for the new funding model and called for the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to revise the funding formula. This new funding formula has been seen as biased against smaller, northern and rural health units. At the September 17th meeting, the Board of Health approved writing a letter to the Minister of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care expressing the Health Unit’s appreciation for supporting a more equitable approach to public health funding.

Recommendation: Receive.

h) Date: 2015 November 3 (via email)

Topic: Public Health Funding Model
From: Copy of correspondence from Mr. Lorne Coe, President, Association of Local Public Health Agencies
To: The Honourable Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

Background:
Similar to item (g), the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa) provided comments regarding the implementation of the Public Health Funding Formula and calls for annual cost of living adjustments to grant funding, upward adjustment of the overall Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care allocation for public health programs and implementation of a comprehensive monitoring strategy to evaluate the new funding model.

Recommendation: Endorse.

i) Date: 2015 November 4 (Received 2015 November 10)

Topic: Results of 2015 Nutritious Food Basket for Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health
From: Copy of correspondence from Mr. Doug Auld, Chair, WDGPH Board of Health
To: The Honourable Deb Matthews, Minister Responsible for the Poverty Reduction Strategy/Deputy Premier

Background:
All public health units in Ontario conduct a Nutritious Food Basket (NFB) survey in accordance with the Ontario Public Health Standards to measure the cost of basic healthy eating. Annual results repeatedly show that incomes for our most vulnerable residents are insufficient to afford basic needs.

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; 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; 3) Send a letter to all London and Middlesex County federal election candidates requesting they take Food Secure Canada’s Eat Think Vote candidate pledge; and 4) Forward Report No. 50-15 re 2015 Nutritious Food Basket Survey Results and Implications for Government Public Policy to the City of London, Middlesex County & appropriate community agencies.

Recommendation: Receive.

j) Date: 2015 November 4 (Received 2015 November 10)

Topic: Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program Funding
From: Copy of correspondence from Mr. Doug Auld, Chair, WDGPH Board of Health
To: The Honourable Tracy MacCharles, Ministry of Children and Youth Services/Ministry Responsible for Women’s Issues

Background:
The Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program helps children get a healthy start in life by providing screening, assessment and referral to community programs and services, supporting new parents and helping to find community resources for breastfeeding, nutrition, health services, parenting programs and family literacy programs.

The Board of Health endorsed correspondence regarding HBHC funding challenges from Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, MOH & CEO, Sudbury and District Health Unit at the September 17th meeting.

Recommendation: Receive.

k) Date: 2015 November 6 (Received 2016 November 9)

Topic: Electronic Participation at Board of Health meetings
From: Copy of correspondence from Ms. Lesley Parnell, Chair, Board of Health, Peterborough County-City Health Unit
To: Mr. Lorne Coe, President, Association of Local Public Health Agencies

Background:
See item (a) above.

Recommendation: Receive.

l) Date: 2015 November 6 (Received 2015 November 9)

Topic: Food Security and the Transformation of Social Assistance in Ontario
From: Copy of correspondence from Ms. Lesley Parnell, Chair, Board of Health, Peterborough County-City Health Unit
To: The Honourable Helena Jaczek, Ministry of Community and Social Services.

Background:
See item (i) above.

Recommendation: Receive.

m) Date: 2015 November 6 (Received 2015 November 9)

Topic: Food Security and Basic Income Guarantee
From: Copy of correspondence from Ms. Lesley Parnell, Chair, Board of Health, Peterborough County-City Health Unit
To: Ms. Evelyn Vaccari, Chair, Ontario Society of Nutrition Professionals in Public Health (OSNPPH), and Ms. Lyndsay Davidson, Chair, OSNPPH Food Security Workgroup

Background:
Similar to item (i) above, the Peterborough County-City Health Unit thanked the Ontario Society of Nutrition Professionals in Public Health for their position paper on Responses to Food Insecurity and their leadership in this area across Ontario.

Recommendation: Receive.

n) Date: 2015 November 6 (Received 2015 November 9)

Topic: Results of 2015 Nutritious Food Basket for Peterborough County-City Health Unit
From: Copy of correspondence from Ms. Lesley Parnell, Chair, Board of Health, Peterborough County-City Health Unit
To: The Honourable Tracy MacCharles, Ministry of Children and Youth Services/Ministry Responsible for Women’s Issues

Background:
See item (i) above.

Recommendation: Receive.

o) Date: 2015 November 16 (via email)

Topic: Modernization of the Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS)
From: Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
To: Board of Health Chairs and Medical Officers of Health

Background:
The Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS) and Protocols establish the minimum requirements for public health programs and services to be delivered by Ontario's 36 boards of health, which include assessment and surveillance, health promotion and policy development, disease and injury prevention, and health protection. The OPHS and Protocols are published by the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, pursuant to Section 7 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7.

The OPHS and Protocols replaced the Mandatory Health Programs and Services Guidelines (MHPSG) on January 1, 2009. This review will be responsive to emerging evidence and priority issues in public health since that time.

Recommendation: Receive.

p) Date: 2015 November 19 (via email)

Topic: Proceedings from November 5, 2015 BOH Risk Management Workshop
From: Ms. Susan Lee, Manager, Administrative & Association Services, Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa)
To: All Board of Health Members

Background:
This workshop helped participants explore risk management and governance and learn from the case studies of Algoma and KFL&A Public Health. Speakers and topics included: 1) Graham Scott, Institute for Research in Public Policy, Canada Health Infoway / Algoma Public Health Assessor – Corporate Governance and Risk; 2) Corinne Berinstein, Senior Audit Manager, Ontario Audit Division, Treasury Board Secretariat – Managing Uncertainty; 3) Tony Hanlon, CEO and Justin Pino, CFO, Algoma Public Health – “The Perfect Storm”: Lessons Learned; and 4) Hazel Gilchrist, Director, Corporate Services, KFL&A Public Health – Risk Management: A Process Perspective.

Recommendation: Receive.

q) Date: 2015 November 19 (Received 2015 November 20)

Topic: Public Health Funding
From: Copy of correspondence from Mr. Mark Lovshin, Chair, Board of Health Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
To: The Honourable Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

Background:
See item (h) above.

Recommendation: Receive.

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