Report No. 057-12

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

Medical Officer of Health Activity Report – April

Recommendation

It is recommended that Report No. 057-12 re Medical Officer of Health Activity Report – April be received for information.

The following report highlights activities of the Medical Officer of Health since the last Board of Health meeting.

On March 27, 2012, Middlesex County Council undertook a final review of the Board of Health revised 2012 budget submission and approved their proportionate share in the amount of $1,160,961. This completes the municipal 2012 budget approval process. The budget will now be converted to the Provincial budget format and forwarded to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care for approval. As in past years, a request for 75% of the total cost shared budget will be requested.

In follow up to the just completed municipal budget approval process, and as per the direction of the Board of Health at the March 22, 2012, meeting, Board Chair Ms. Viola Poletes Montgomery extended an invitation to Mayor Fontana and members of London City Council, Warden Maudsley and members of County Council to discuss municipal public health funding in advance of the 2013 budget process. A verbal update regarding the response to this invitation will be provided at the April 19, 2012 meeting.

Connected to the 2013 municipal budget process is the attached resolution (Appendix A(PDF 202.8KB)) passed by London City Council calling for the City Solicitor to report back to the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee concerning the next steps available to City Council to achieve a 75/25 cost-sharing arrangement.

A meeting was held with Dr. Harinder Sandhu, Director, Schulich School of Dentistry, Western University, to discuss the status of the proposed Paediatric General Anesthesia Dental Clinic. Board Members will recall that staff of this Health Unit coordinate a process whereby a number of South West Ontario Health Units forwarded 100% Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care funding under the capital component of the Healthy Smiles Ontario Dental Program to the School of Dentistry for this purpose. Also in attendance at this meeting were Dr. Bryna Warshawsky, Associate Medical Officer of Health & Director, Oral Health, Communicable Disease and Sexual Health Services, Mr. John Millson, Director, Finance and Operations as well as Ms. Sharon Rasul and Mr. Dwayne Martins from the School of Dentistry. This initiative is in some jeopardy as the funding was to have been utilized prior to March 31^st of this year and a request for its carry over to the 2012 – 2013 Ministry funding year may not be approved. The difficulty has been in the School finding a suitable location for the Clinic.

Board of Health Members Mr. David Bolton, Mr. Al Edmonson and Mr. Marcel Meyer, together with the Medical Officer of Health attended the Middlesex Association Annual Meeting. This year the meeting was held at the Lucan Community Memorial Centre. The Medical Officer of Health is a member of the Board of Directors of the Association.

The Medical Officer of Health attended the Ontario Public Health Convention. This 3 day event is a joint undertaking of Public Health Ontario, The Association of Public Health Agencies (alPHa) and the Ontario Public Health Association. The theme this year was “Staying Ahead of the Curve”. Board Chair Ms. Viola Poletes Montgomery, was able to attend 2 days of the convention.

Other meetings involving the Medical Officer of Health since the last Board meeting included:

chairing of a Healthline.ca Board of Directors meeting; participation in a teleconference regarding development of a Mutual Assistance Agreement for South West Ontario Public Health Units; and participation in a Coaching Boys to Men Working Group meeting.

Graham L. Pollett, MD, FRCPC

Medical Officer of Health