Report No. 036-12

TO: Chair and Members of the Board of Health
FROM: Graham L. Pollett, MD, FRCPC, Medical Officer of Health
DATE: 2012 March 22

One-Time Funding – Phase 1 of Panorama

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Board of Health approve the amended Public Health Accountability Agreement attached as Appendix A to Report No. 036 -12 for Phase 1 activities relating to the implementation of the Panorama communicable disease web-based computer system.

Background

The Panorama project is a provincial initiative to provide Ontario public health professionals with a comprehensive, secure, web-based system to more efficiently manage immunization information, vaccine inventory, and communicable disease cases and outbreaks. Once fully implemented, Panorama will integrate the work of approximately 2,000 users including staff at all 36 health units, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC), Ontario Government Pharmacy and Medical Supply Services (OGPMSS) and Public Health Ontario (PHO).  Not only is Panorama expected to enhance integration within the public health sphere, it is also a critical first step to enable the future sharing of immunization and communicable disease data with other health providers, such as hospitals and community physicians.

Panorama is being implemented in Ontario in several phases.  Phase 1 is to deploy the immunization and vaccine inventory management modules of Panorama at all health units, by March 2013.  In Phase 2, the communicable disease case investigation and outbreak management modules will be implemented.  It is expected that Phase 2 of the Panorama project will be completed by March 2014, although this deadline may change depending on the outcome of Phase 1 deployment.

100% Ministry Funding

The Health Unit is eligible to receive up to $77,149 in one-time funding for the 2011-2012 MOHLTC funding year.  This amount includes $18,123 to support the data cleansing and assessment activities to prepare for the implementation of Phase 1 of Panorama.  All Ontario health units are expected to undertake this level of activity for Phase 1. 

The remaining $59,026 is available to perform additional preparatory activities as this health unit has been selected to participate in the Panorama “Builders/Early Adopters” working group.  There are six other Builders/Early Adopters across the province: Algoma, Grey Bruce, Kingston Frontenac Lennox & Addington, Niagara Region, Peel Region and Toronto Health Units.  The Builders/Early Adopters Working Group assists the project by providing user input into the ongoing development of Panorama, by offering guidance on the deployment strategy, and by undertaking additional implementation readiness assessments.

Appendix A is a checklist prepared by the ministry which provides detailed activities eligible to be reimbursed by this special funding. Appendix B is the amending agreement to the Public Health Accountability Agreement (PHAA) which provides the necessary mechanism for the MOHLTC to 
flow funding to health units. 

Due to the late announcement of this funding, most health units are unable to perform 100% of the activities of Phase 1 of the project. Accordingly, the MOHLTC has indicated that partial funding is available, prorated dependent on the level of completeness reflected in the checklist.  Staff members are currently reviewing which of the requirements can be completed by March 31, 2012 to determine the appropriate level of funding theHealth Unit is eligible to receive.  A verbal update at the March 22^nd Board of Health meeting will provide this information so the Agreement can be executed. It is also expected that further one-time funding will be made available for the 2012-2013 MOHLTC funding year to complete the activities of Phase 1 of the Panorama project.

This report was prepared by Mr. John Millson, Director, Finance & Operations, and Ms. Alison Locker, Epidemiologist, Oral Health, Communicable Disease and Sexual Health Services.

Graham L. Pollett, MD, FRCPC
Medical Officer of Health

This report addresses the following requirement(s) of the Ontario Public Health Standards:
#1, #10 – Vaccine Preventable Disease standard, as well as Immunization Management Protocol, 2008 and Vaccine Storage and Handling Protocol, 2010
and
Area of Focus: Facilitate the effective and efficient implementation of the Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS) at the Middlesex-London Health Unit.