Report No. 039-12

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

Transfer of Funds Agreement – Shared Library Services Partnership with Public Health Ontario

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Board of Health approve the Transfer of Funds Agreement – Shared Library Services Partnership with Public Health Ontario, attached as Appendix A to Report No. 039-12.

Background

Library services are essential for health units to guide evidence-based decision-making and to fulfill the requirements of the Ontario Public Health Foundational Standard, e.g. advancing knowledge transfer using such tools as bibliographic databases and academic journals. This report outlines an opportunity for this Health Unit to act as a Library Hub for five health units in southwest Ontario.

Public Health Ontario Library Hub Initiative

Public Health Ontario (PHO) is the government agency that provides expert scientific and technical support to public health units, as well as administering Ontario’s public health laboratory services.  PHO has been mandated to advance applied research and program evaluation, education and professional development and knowledge exchange.  As part of the agency’s strategic planning process, the strengthening of library services emerged as one of the priority areas. To address this, PHO developed a Shared Library Services Partnership proposal which calls for the establishment of regional library hubs to support those health units without library services. This proposal calls for the establishment of four such library hubs.

Southwest Library Hub

In December 2011, this Health Unit responded to the PHO Request for Expressions of Interest Regarding Participation in Shared Library Services Partnership. Recently, PHO advised that, subject to Board of Health endorsement of the Transfer Payment Agreement, this Health Unit has been selected to serve as a Hub Library providing services to five other health units in the southwest region (Appendix A). 

Appendix B is a Q&A document that addresses the Transfer Payment Agreement. Many of the terms of this Agreement are based on the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s Public Health Accountability Agreement model and are not subject to negotiation.  However, the arrangements specifically dealing with the set-up of the shared library services are set out in appendices that can be renegotiated at the end of the first year, before an agreement for a second one-year agreement is signed. The signing of this first one-year agreement does not commit the Health Unit to continue in this partnership beyond March 31, 2013.  Schedules B and C of the Agreement highlight the budget and payment schedule for the first year.

Funding will cover salary and associated payroll expenses for one full-time library professional, and also provide monies to be received and spent prior to March 31, 2012.  This immediate funding is intended to cover the cost of required equipment as well as other purchases (e.g. subscriptions and licences).

Acting as a Hub Library will not have a negative impact on the services currently provided to Health Unit staff. That is, pending Board of Health approval, the funding under the Transfer of Funds Agreement would be utilized to create a librarian position to be filled on a one year contract basis for the purpose of providing services to client health units.

Statistics regarding library activities will continue to be collected throughout the year to ensure that the services provided by the four Hub Libraries to client health units is distributed in a manner that meets needs in subsequent years.

Conclusion

An opportunity has been made available by Public Health Ontario to become a hub library for five health units in southwest Ontario. The funding for this service expansion would be provided 100% by Public Health Ontario. In addition to providing library services to health units who do not have such services, this provincial initiative will enhance this Health Unit’s library resources. Participation in the Shared Library Services Partnership will also facilitate this Health Unit to meet the requirements of the Ontario Public Health Standards Foundational Standard. The Foundational Standard guides the assessment, planning, delivery, management and evaluation of all public health programs and services.

This report was prepared by Ms. Louise Tyler, Director, Human Resources and Labour Relations, and Ms. Yvonne Tyml, Librarian.

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

This report addresses the following requirement(s) of the Ontario Public Health Standards:

Foundational Standard – Public health programs and services that are informed by evidence are the foundation for effective public health practice.