Report No. 055-12

TO:  Chair and Members of the Board of Health
FROM:  Graham L. Pollett, MD, FRCPC, Medical Officer of Health
DATE:     2012 April 19 

Bylaw and Policy Revision to Comply With Ontario Public Health Organizational Standards

Recommendations

It is recommended:

1.   That the Board of Health endorse the proposed revisions identified in Appendix A(PDF 50.6KB) to Report No. 055-12 (Policy 1-010 re Structure and Responsibilities of the Board of Health); and further

2.   That the Board of Health review Board of Health Bylaws No. 1 through 5 and adopt the proposed amendments identified in Appendix B to Report No. 055-12; and further

3.   That the Board of Health approve that the amended Bylaws attached as Appendix B(PDF 116.3KB) to Report No. 055-12 receive all three readings at one meeting.

4.   That the Board of Health endorse the proposed revisions identified in Appendix C(PDF 33KB) to Report No. 055-12 (Policy 1-020 re Orientation for Board of Health Members); and further

5.   That the Board of Health endorse the proposed revisions identified in Appendix D(PDF 29.6KB) to Report No. 055-12 (Policy 1-030 re Strategic Planning); and further

6.   That the Board of Health endorse the proposed revisions identified in Appendix E(PDF 21.1KB) to Report No. 055-12 (Policy 9-070 re Annual Report to the Public). 

Background

Board members will recall that a special meeting was held on November 10, 2011, to discuss the Organizational Standards and how they related to the Public Health Accountability Agreement. At that meeting, the Board directed staff to review current Board bylaws and policies to ensure the wording of these documents is in compliance with that of the provincial Agreement and Standards. This report addresses the required revisions.

Revisions

The Minister of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) has the authority under section 7 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act (HPPA) to publish, and has published, standards of practice for Boards of Health. Compliance with these standards (i.e., the Ontario Public Health Standards and the Organizational Standards) is mandatory. Furthermore, under article 2.3 of the Public Health Accountability Agreement with the MOHLTC, the Middlesex-London Board of Health (BOH) must maintain “in writing… procedures to ensure compliance with the Organizational Standards.” The Organizational Standards contain 44 requirements, divided into six categories. 

1.   Board Structure (8 requirements) - Summarizes the required composition of each BOH under the HPPA.

2.   Board Operations (10 requirements) - Summarizes mandatory BOH functions under the HPPA with an additional requirement: BOH policies, which outlines mandatory bylaws and policies.

3.   Leadership (2 requirements) - Describes the BOH responsibility to provide “governance direction to the administration” regarding (a) delivery of the standards; (b) organizational effectiveness through evaluation of the organization and strategic planning; (c) stakeholder relations and partnership building; (d) research and evaluations, including ethical review; (e) compliance with all applicable legislation and regulations; (f) workforce issues, including recruitment of the Medical Officer of Health; (g) financial management, including procurement; and (h) risk management. This standard also describes the requirements of a strategic plan and requires each BOH to maintain a 3-5 year strategic plan.

4.   Trusteeship (3 requirements) – Describes Board’s accountability to the public, as well as required orientation, continuing education, and self-evaluation activities for BOH members.

5.   Community Engagement & Responsiveness (5 requirements) – Describes the relationship between each BOH and the public. This includes requirements that health unit administration must develop and implement community engagement, stakeholder engagement and client service strategies.

6.   Management Operations (16 requirements) – Describes Health Unit administrative responsibilities. As the largest standard, these requirements are designed to assist health units plan, manage risk and continually improve quality.

Bylaw and Policy Revisions

To bring existing BOH bylaws and policies into compliance with the wording and requirements of the Organizational Standards a number of revisions are required. The Bylaws and policies so affected are listed below while the necessary changes are highlighted in the attached appendices as indicated.

• Policy 1-010 Structure and Responsibilities of the Board of Health (Appendix A(PDF 50.6KB))

• Board of Health Bylaws No. 1 through 5 (Appendix B(PDF 116.3KB)

• Policy 1-020 Orientation for Board of Health Members (Appendix C(PDF 33KB))

• Policy 1-030 Strategic Planning (Appendix D(PDF 29.6KB))

• Policy 9-070 Annual Report to the Public (Appendix E(PDF 21.1KB))

Mr. Ross Graham, Manager, Special Projects, the author of this report, will guide Board members through the proposed revisions at the April 19, 2012, Board of Health meeting. 

Graham L. Pollett, MD, FRCPC

Medical Officer of Health 

This report addresses the Ontario Public Health Organizational Standards at the Middlesex-London Health Unit.