Call for system leaders to address local population health planning!
Please note that the due date for this Expression of Interest was November 10, 2017
We value the perspectives and time of partners! The time has come to work together in a new way…
Local population health planning is essential to improve the health of our population and to reduce health inequities. It is well known that we face many challenges in the North West LHIN, including poorer health outcomes despite more being spent on health care than elsewhere in the province. We have higher rates of preventable disease, higher rates of acute hospital use and higher rates of hospitalization and emergency department visits for chronic diseases.
Addressing these challenges and improving health outcomes for people living in the communities within the North West LHIN will require us to come together with our partners in a new way – a way that brings the perspectives of those who live and work in the system to the table in a very real way and a way that values everyone’s time and begins to align and streamline the various tables that many of our partners sit at.
The Vision for sub-region planning: By focusing on population health planning at the local level we will ensure that services reflect the unique needs of patients and communities to improve health outcomes for the people of Northwestern Ontario.
By focusing on the whole health of the population, we will move away from spending time planning on focused sector work, and use our time more efficiently and effectively to plan as system partners.
This is not a new concept for the North West LHIN. Our partners have been working in this way for over five years, as we have been advancing the Health Services Blueprint, Health Links and many other initiatives that bring partners together, across sectors to focus on patient-centred care. We need to do this better and we need to do this smarter.
The North West LHIN is seeking health system leaders to advance population health planning within each of the five sub-regions. Sub-region planning tables are being established in each of our five sub-regions to focus on population-based planning, performance/quality improvement, service alignment and integration and implementation of LHIN-wide priorities. These tables are very much in the early stages of development and we will be looking to our partners to help guide the development of these tables.
Planning tables include patients, families, caregivers, Indigenous representatives, Francophone representatives, Primary Care (Physicians, Nurse Practitioners), Specialist Physicians, Hospitals, Public Health Unit, Municipal Services, Home and Community Care, Community Support Services, Long-Term Care Homes and Mental Health and Addictions. These stakeholders are best positioned to identify and act on the needs of their population. North West LHIN resources will also be aligned to each sub-region to provide support and a mechanism to bring local priorities and feedback back to the LHIN for planning priorities – a sub-region Director, Clinical Lead, Performance Lead and Home and Community Care Lead will support each sub-region.
Process to express your interest in being part of the sub-region planning table:
1. Stakeholders within each sub-region are asked to work together, across sectors, to discuss this opportunity and submit one planning table submission with representation across all sectors to indicate endorsement and buy-in of the stakeholders *complete Sub-region Planning Table Application Form: Sector Endorsement.
NOTE: Our approach to sub-region planning will leverage the foundational work that has been established through Health Links and will also look to streamline existing planning tables. As such, we encourage partners to look at the existing Health Links tables as a starting point for this planning table.
NOTE: Patients, families, caregivers, Indigenous representatives, public health and Francophone representatives will be engaged through additional engagement processes to identify appropriate ways of representing these important partners at the sub-region planning tables. If you are able to identify representation in these areas, please do so. Work will be ongoing to engage these stakeholders.
2. All individuals that are identified on the Sub-region Planning Table Application Form are also required to complete the Sub-region Planning Table Application Form (individual) form to outline their experience with the health system, system planning and community linkages.
3. Individuals that are not identified on the Sub-region Planning Table Application Form are also encouraged to apply individually. Each individual is also required to complete the Sub-region Planning Table Application Form: Individual to outline their experience with the health system, system planning and community linkages.
4. The North West LHIN will review and evaluate each group and individual submission based on the criteria outlined within the application. Successful candidates were notified on November 17, 2017.
5. The first planning table sessions were held between November 28 – December 7, 2017.
- District of Thunder Bay – November 28
- District of Rainy River – November 29
- City of Thunder Bay – December 1
- District of Kenora – December 5
- Northern – December 7
Your support in sharing this exciting leadership opportunity with your internal and external stakeholders is very much appreciated.
If you or your stakeholders have any comments, or require additional info, please email Jessica Logozzo, Director, System Strategy and Innovation at Jessica.Logozzo@lhins.on.ca.