January 23, 2020 Meeting Summary
Board of Health Meeting Summary – January 23, 2020
Chair and Vice-Chair
Doug Malanka, Mayor of Augusta, and United Counties of Leeds and Grenville municipal appointee to the Board of Health, was appointed Chair of the Board for 2020.
Candace Kaine, resident of Elizabethtown-Kitley and a provincial appointee to the Board of Health, was appointed Vice-Chair of the Board for 2020.
Land Control Budget
The 2020 Land Control budget was passed with no change in fees for 2020. As of January 1, 2020 the Health Unit has a formal arrangement with 19 of the 22 municipalities in Lanark and the United Counties to provide Land Control services (Part VIII under the Ontario Building Code Act).
Public Health Modernization
The Ministry of Health is conducting a consultation on their recently released Discussion Paper: Public Health Modernization. The Ministry will use the results of the consultation across the province to suggest how the public health system can be more effective and efficient. The paper includes six areas that the ministry would like feedback on:
- Insufficient capacity in all health units;
- Misalignment of health, social services and other services;
- Duplication of effort; and
- Inconsistent priority setting;
- Improving Francophone services; and
- Engagement with Indigenous Peoples.
The Board of Health reviewed the results of the consultation conducted with Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit Board members, management and staff. They reiterated the importance of the following principles in any decisions the Ministry of Health might make about public health modernization:
- Appropriate municipal role in governance;
- No loss of service to our community;
- Meaningful involvement in planning ;
- Integrity of the Health Unit;
- Like Health Unit Populations grouped together; and
- Effective and efficient administration services.
They also supported the November 2019 Statement of Principles for Public Health Modernization from the Association of Local PUBLIC HEALTH Agencies (alPHa).
The Board of Health discussed creating an improved public health system by having local public health agencies who are well connected with their specific communities, including health and social services, share some services to increase effectiveness and efficiency. A Regional Collaborative Council supported by all health units in a region could support priority setting, avoid duplication, and build capacity. A Provincial Lead Table would provide a vehicle for effective collaboration and priority setting between the Ministry of Health and representatives from the Regional Collaborative Councils. Provincial topic specific Public Health Advisory Committees could provide research reviews and guidelines to improve consistency in public health services across the province. The Health Unit’s detailed responses to the Discussion Paper will be submitted to the Ministry of Health by February 10, 2020.