June 6, 2019 Meeting Summary

Board of Health Meeting Summary – June 6, 2019

Summary

The Board of Health held a special meeting on Thursday, June 6, 2019 to begin the discussion about a Regional Public Health Entity (RPHE) for our Health Unit.

There is strong direction from the recent Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus and the Mayors’ Caucus that rural counties must be linked with other rural counties rather than with large urban centres. The Board of Health agreed with this, and recommended that we continue to work on two options for a Regional Public Health Entity. The Boards of each Health Unit would have to agree to be part of a proposed RPHE, and this has not occurred yet.

• Southeastern Regional Public Health Entity which would include four Health Units (Eastern Ontario; Leeds, Grenville and Lanark; Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington; Hastings Prince Edward);
• East Regional Public Health Entity that would include the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit, Eastern Ontario Health Unit, and Renfrew and District Health Unit – all bordering on Ottawa. A formal relationship could be established with Ottawa Public Health, building on the collaborative working relationship we have now for efficient and effective public health programs and services.

While the province will have the final say in all the Regional Public Health Entity’s across the province, we are working hard to give them options that we think could work for our Health Unit.

The Board has also set up a Committee to help guide the transition of the Health Unit to a Regional Public Health Entity. There is strong support to make the transition to a Regional Public Health Entity as smooth as possible. Several Board members have been involved in amalgamation of other organization and will bring this expertise to the discussion.