Agenda - December 14, 2017 - Board of Health Meeting

Complete Agenda Package (PDF)

Thursday, December 14, 2017 - 5:30 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

Board of Health meeting, November 16, 2017.

Delegations

5:35 – 5:45 p.m.
Ms. Trish Fulton, Chair, Finance & Facilities Committee re: Item # 1, December 7, 2017 FFC meeting

5:45 – 5:55 p.m.
Dr. Gayane Hovhannisayan, Associate Medical Officer of Health, Director of Foundational Standards re: Item #2, iGAS Report 000-17

Other Business

• Next Finance & Facilities Committee meeting: February 1, 2018 @ 9:00 a.m.
• Next Board of Health meeting: January 18, 2017 @ 7:00 p.m.
• Next Governance Committee meeting: January 18, 2018 @ 6:00 p.m.

Correspondence

a) Date: 2017 October 31
Topic: Modernization of Alcohol Retail Sales in Ontario
From: Northwestern Health Unit
To: Minister Eric Hoskins

Background:
The Ontario Government has committed to social responsibility as it increases the availability of alcohol; however, actions by government since 2014 suggest that economic interests may be superseding the health and well-being of Ontarians.

Northwestern Health Unit is calling on the Ontario Government to fulfil its commitment (announced in December 2015) to develop a province-wide strategy to minimize harm and support the safe consumption of alcohol.

Recommendation:
Receive.

b) Date: 2017 November 2
Topic: Expert Panel Response
From: Region of Waterloo
To: Premier Kathleen Wynne and Minister Eric Hoskins

Background:
The Expert Panel Report on Public Health made recommendations to strengthen and increase the integration of the public health sector within the rest of Ontario’s health care system. Recommendations included changes to the organizational structure of public health, geographic boundaries, leadership structures and approaches to governance.
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care invited stakeholders to submit feedback and comments until October 31, 2017.
The Regional Municipality of Waterloo submitted a report, which was supported unanimously by the Regional Council, outlining their opposition to the recommendations within the Expert Panel Report.

Recommendation:
Receive.

c) Date: 2017 October 31
Topic: Expert Panel Response
From: Renfrew County and District Health Unit
To: Minister Eric Hoskins

Background:
See item (b) above.

Renfrew County and District Health Unit believes that they have the most diverse population needs of all 36 Health Units in Ontario. As such, they have developed partnerships with a number of industries and communities over the years and centralization would undo the work that has been done to sustain such partnerships. Challenges and issues identified within public health structures can be addressed within the current structure and should be to ensure and sustain community engagement through local governance.
Recommendation:
Receive.

d) Date: 2017 November 1
Topic: Expert Panel Response
From: Association of Ontario Public Health Business Administrators (AOPHBA)
To: Minister Eric Hoskins
Background:
See item (b) above.

The Association of Ontario Public Health Business Administrators (AOPHBA) summarized their areas of concern related to the Expert Panel on Public Health. Their concerns include; lack of evidence to support proposed model, preservation of the public health mandate, one size does not fill all, sustaining local communities and municipal partners, labour relations implications, a potential reduction in public health funding and lack of planning for change management. AOPHBA also highlighted some benefits including improved collaboration with other health care services, a greater focus on the social determinants of health and health equity. They suggest that the new model should ensure that Health Units are provided with the specialized services that smaller Health Units may not have had access to in the current model.

Recommendation:
Receive.

e) Date: 2017 November 6
Topic: Provincial Home Care Agency
From: alPHa
To: Boards of Health

Background:
The Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa) provided a link to a CBC news article entitled “New plan will see Ontario government employees deliver home care”. The article focus on the provincial plan to provide home care through a new provincial agency. According to CBC news, the “agency called Personal Support Services Ontario will be created in the fall and will start to deliver home care in the spring.”

Recommendation:
Receive.

f) Date: 2017 November 14
Topic: Expert Panel Response
From: Grey Bruce Health Unit
To: Minister Hoskins

Background:
See item (b) above.

Grey Bruce Health Unit recognized the Expert Panel members for their hard work. They also noted that it is their hope that comments submitted during the consultation process will be useful to improve the Ontario public health system. The Grey Bruce Board of Health supports the objectives to enhance public health capacity, quality and transparency while focusing on population health. However, Grey Bruce feels that the proposed model would be detrimental to the public health system. Local governance is an important aspect of the public health system and the loss of the local voice could impact the direction of public health programs as related to the needs of the population being served. Concerns are also raised about evidence, rationale, planning, and evaluation. In addition, Grey Bruce Health Unit states that “it has not been proven that the LHIN […] has been successful in achieving the goal of improving access to care and patient experience.”

Recommendation:
Receive.

g) Date: 2017 November 9
Topic: Expert Panel Report
From: Durham Public Health
To: The Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Premier
Background:
See item (b) above.

The Regional Municipality of Durham endorsed the correspondence from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) urging the province to not adopt any of the recommendations outlined in the Expert Panel Report. They also recommended that correspondence be sent to the Premier of Ontario, Minister of Health, Durham’s MPPs, Central East LHIN CEO, Chief Medical Officer of Health and all Ontario boards of Health.

Recommendation:
Receive.

h) Date: 2017 November 23
Topic: Municipal Package on Expert Panel on Public Health Report
From: alPHa
To: Board of Health

Background:
See item (b) above.

The Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa) provided a template letter to all Boards of Health to be sent electronically to the local government agencies in their respective jurisdiction in response to the Public Health Within an Integrated Health System - A report from the Minister's Expert Panel on Public Health. The templates include a letter to be sent from the Board of Health to the Municipality, Municipality to the Minister of Health and a Template Municipal Resolution Expert Panel Response to Minister Hoskins. alPHa requests that each BOH fill in the appropriate text for both letters before sending to the Mayor(s) and Council(s) of their jurisdiction.

Recommendation:
Receive.

i) Date: 2017 November 10
Topic: Paid Leave for Survivors of Domestic and/or Sexual Violence
From: Peggy Sattler, MPP
To: Chris Mackie

Background:
Survivors of domestic violence or sexual violence will soon be able to access five days of paid leave and an additional 15 weeks of unpaid leave. Ms. Sattler thanks her supporters, including the Board of Health, and states that this legislative change is a direct result of the private member’s bill that she introduced, Domestic and Sexual Violence Workplace Leave, Accommodation and Training Act, and the determined efforts of advocates and activists across this province.

Recommendation:
Receive.

j) Date: 2017 November 11
Topic: Summary of BOH Section Discussion November 3, 2017
From: alPHa
To: Boards of Health

Background:
At the alPHa Boards of Health Section meeting held on November 3 in Toronto, attendees participated in a facilitated workshop on transformation and governance. This correspondence provides a summary of Section members’ discussion on this topic.

Recommendation:
Receive.

k) Date: 2017 November 9
Topic: Report of the Rowan’s Law Advisory Committee
From: Durham Region
To: The Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Premier

Background:
Durham Region endorsed correspondence from the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa) for the implementation of recommendations contained in the Report of the Rowan’s Law Advisory Committee.

The Report of the Rowan’s Law Advisory Committee contained 21 recommendations directed at organized amateur sports regarding head injury prevention and treatment.

Recommendation:
Receive.

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

Confidential

The Board of Health will move in-camera to discuss matters regarding identifiable individuals, labour relations and proposed or pending acquisition of land by the Middlesex-London Board of Health and to consider confidential minutes from its November 16, 2017 and November 30, 2017 Board of Health meetings and the November 2, 2017 and November 27, 2017 Finance and Facilities Committee meeting.

Adjournment