The fourteen Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) the Ontario government created to the localize planning and funding of health care are each approaching community engagement differently.
The engagement process in each LHIN is unique, says one LHIN CEO, because it must reflect the local character of each particular community and its board.
The LHINs have a mandate to engage the community in defining health care priorities and integration opportunities. This fall, each LHIN will deliver an Integrated Health Services Plan (IHSP) to the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. The ministry expects those plans to reflect community ownership over the priorities.
“I think we’re following a common template,” says Paul Huras, CEO of the South East LHIN, “but how we collect the information is different.”
Board members and staff have already met with more than 3500 people in the South East LHIN, mostly providers and community agencies
Public consultations began yesterday and will take place in 24 different communities. During the meetings, the public will be invited to respond to key input areas including; successful current services, unmet services or needs, issues in access, and identifying potential improvements to be made in the organization, and delivery of services.
The LHIN has also selected a Project Work Team composed of community experts from nine different health fields. The team will span the whole LHIN and work with the community to provide input and direction to the draft of the IHSP.
In the neighbouring Central East LHIN, providers recently met in community meetings and were asked to discuss six areas of activity; Mental Health and Addiction, Moving People through the System, Safe and Quality Care, Seamless Care for Seniors, Chronic Disease, and Shared Services/Back Office Transformation.
Using laptop computers placed at each table, attendees at the sessions recorded their discussions, priorities and a definition of how they would view success.
A summary was compiled and then discussed with the whole group. The reports were posted at CentralEastLHIN.on.ca and are easily accessible.
After the day sessions with providers, the public was invited to attend an open meeting in the evening.
The Central East LHIN has also divided itself into nine regional zones and will be creating a team of advisors in each one. These teams, or Collaboratives, will be composed of providers and stakeholders who will inform the LHIN of client and sector needs.
In the Hamilton-Niagara-Haldimand-Brant LHIN, board and senior staff are taking yet another approach, beginning with consultation on the engagement process itself.
During a series of five-hour long meetings that LHIN is asking the public to guide and define the engagement process. Asking “how do you want to be engaged?” LHIN representatives will position themselves at various booths in different community facilities.
“This is about listening to the public, whether it’s citizens or providers,” she says.
Despite the differences in approach, the results of the community engagement strategies in all the LHINs will provide board and senior staff with some of the qualitative analysis for use in drafting the IHSPs.
