March 10, 2016 - Board of Health Agenda

Complete Agenda Package (PDF 2MB)

Thursday, March 10, 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 - February 18, 2016
Finance and Facilities Committee - March 3, 2016

Business Arising From the Minutes

Delegations

7:05- 7:25 p.m.

Lesley James, Senior Manager Health Policy, Heart & Stroke Foundation
Paula Dworatzek, Western University
Angie Woodcock, Canadian Cancer Society
re: Item #2 Impact of Sugar Sweetened Beverages (Report No. 016-16)

7:25 – 7:35 p.m.
Ms. Trish Fulton, Chair, Finance and Facilities Committee re: Item #1 Finance and Facilities Committee Meeting March 3, 2016 (Report No. 015-16).

Other Business

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

Confidential

The Board of Health will move in camera to discuss matters concerning a proposed or pending acquisition of land by the Middlesex-London Board of Health and to approve minutes from its February 18, 2016 in camera session regarding a matter concerning potential litigation.

Correspondence

a) Date: 2016 February 1(Received 2016 February 3)
Topic: Public Health Approach to Cannabis Legalization
From: Copy of correspondence from Windsor-Essex Health Unit, Gary McNamara Chair, Windsor-Essex County Board of Health, Gary M. Kirk, MPH, MD, Medical Officer of Health and CEO
To: The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau

Background:
Canada has one of the highest rates of cannabis use in the world with over 40% of Canadian adults having used cannabis in their lifetime. In Ontario, it is the most widely consumed illicit drug, with youth and young adults having the highest rates of use.

At the January 26, 2016 Middlesex-London Board of Health Meeting staff were directed to: 1) advocate for an evidence-based public health approach to Cannabis in the context of legalization, including strict regulation for the non-medical use of cannabis, as well as its production, distribution, product promotion and sale; and 2) Establish baseline data and mechanisms to monitor local use of cannabis in the coming years; and 3) Forward this report and appendices to the Association of Local Public Health Agencies, the Ontario Public Health Association, Ontario Boards of Health, the Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, the federal Minister of Health, and other elected officials as appropriate.

Recommendation:
Receive.

b) Date: 2016 February 1 (Received 2016 February 9)
Topic: Basic Income Guarantee
From: The Honourable Deb Matthews
To: Mr. Ian Peer (2015 MLHU Board of Health Chair)

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.

c) Date: 2016 February 5 (Received 2016 February 8)
Topic: Mental Health Promotion in Ontario Public Health Agencies
From: Peterborough County-City Health Unit, Scott McDonald Chair, Board of Health
To: The Honourable Dr. Eric Hoskins

Background:
The Middlesex-London Health Unit was one of three leads in a locally-driven collaborative project called: “Supporting Ontario Public Health Units to Promote the Mental Health of Children and Youth”, which aimed to identify areas of focus regarding mental health promotion for children and youth. The report from this project reported that mental health service providers see that public health agencies have a role in mental health promotion leadership. There are currently no explicit and strategic directions in the Ontario Public Health Standards regarding this role.

Recommendation:
Receive.

d) Date: 2016 February 8
Topic: Canadian Cancer Society Youth 4 Action Program
From: Nancy Wirtz, Senior Coordinator, Cancer Prevention
To: All Health Units

Background:
The Canadian Cancer Society invites groups of youth ages 14+ to use their skills and creativity to educate their peers about cancer prevention and advocate for policy changes in their communities that support health.

Recommendation:
Receive.

e) Date: 2016 February 16
Topic: alPHa Board of Health Section Meeting Agenda Package
From: Linda Stewart, Association of Local Public Health Agencies
To: all Boards of Health, Board of Health members and senior management

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 Board of Health section meeting was held on February 25, 2016 and featured sessions on Skill-Based Boards, Patients First and a Ministry Update from Dr. Bob Bell, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

Recommendation:
Receive.

f) Date: 2016 February 8 (Received 2016 February 17)
Topic: Memorandum from Dr. Robert Kyle, Commissioner & Medical Officer of Health, dated January 12, 2016 re: Cannabis Regulation and Control
From: Debi A. Wilcox, Regional Clerk/Director of Legislative Services, Durham Region
To: The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau

Background:
See item (a) above.

Recommendation:
Receive.

g) Date: 2016 February 18 (Received 2016 February 19)
Topic: Patients First: A Proposal to Strengthen Patient-Centered Care in Ontario
From: Dr. A. Lynn Noseworthy, Medical Officer of Health, Haliburton, Kawartha, Pineridge District Health Unit
To: The Board of Health

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

1) Access: Improve access – providing fast access to the right care.
2) Connect: Connect services – delivering better coordinated and integrated care in the community, closer to home.
3) Inform: Support people and patients – providing the education, information and transparency they need to make the right decisions about their health.
4) 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 Middlesex-London Board of Health considered a report at the January 21, 2016 meeting and discussed potential changes to the public health funding model and boundaries and jurisdictions served by Local Health Integration Networks and how this might affect funding and direction of the Board of Health.

Recommendation:
Receive.

h) Date: 2016 February 8 (Received 2016 February 19)
Topic: Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care’s discussion paper: Patients First: A Proposal to Strengthen Patient-Centered Care in Ontario
From: Councillor Shad Qadri, Chair, Board of Health for the City of Ottawa Health Unit
To: The Honourable Dr. Eric Hoskins

Background:
See item (g) above.

Recommendation:
Receive.

i) Date: 2016 February 22
Topic: Basic Income Guarantee
From: James Chirico, Medical Officer of Health/Executive Officer, North Bay Parry Sound District
To: The Honourable Deb Matthews

Background:
See item (b) above.

Recommendation:
Receive.

j) Date: 2016 February 23
Topic: alPHa Board of Health Section Meeting Agenda
From: Susan Lee, alPHa
To: All Board of Health Members

Background:
See item (e) above.

Recommendation:
Receive.

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

Adjournment