Board members and senior staff of the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant LHIN are asking health care users and community providers the question ‘how do you want to be engaged?’ through a series of open house information sessions beginning late May, says Pat Mandy, CEO.

The LHIN will host the 12 open house sessions in different communities comprising the LHIN’s regional territory.

“We want to ask people what their opinions are, talk about the LHINs, and get suggestions,” says Mandy.

Each session will be held from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm, with senior staff and board members on hand to take suggestions and provide insight into the LHIN roll-out process. Different community agencies not funded by the LHIN, such as the YMCA or the Social Planning Council, will serve as hosts, Mandy explains.

Session format will feature various stations at which senior staff and board members will be talking about LHIN re-structuring process. Each station will allow for one-on-one feedback, along with suggestion boxes.

“We know what the Ministry’s priorities are,” says Mandy, “but this is about listening to the public – whether it’s citizens or providers.”

Since last fall, says Mandy, LHIN staff have attended or hosted over 200 meetings with frontline providers in the region. LHIN staff regularly asked meeting attendees the question “If there was one thing you could change in the health care system what would it be?”

As CEO of a LHIN in which provider partnerships are consistently developing – Mandy points to the decision of eleven Hamilton-area hospitals to hire a coordinating officer for the regions “E-Health” strategy as a common example of collaboration in the region – Mandy welcomes the opportunity to work in such a cooperative climate.

“I feel blessed in this LHIN,” she says.