Links
Equity Highlights
- Central LHIN statement on reducing health disparities: “Central LHIN will strive to reduce health disparities as a shared responsibility with its health service providers by integrating health equity into strategies and activities within its mandate and influence”
- It’s Equity Statement is published in Farsi, French, Italian, Russian and Chinese (traditional and simplified)
- The LHIN’s community engagement spoke to a need to improve access for people of diverse ethnocultural backgrounds, people with disabilities and those with access difficulties because of income, education or transportation
- More equitable access can be accomplished by building greater capacity in agencies to address barriers to access, better engaging diverse groups in planning and evaluating services and developing specific outreach and/or services where necessary
Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee
- Central LHIN created a Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group to ensure that a health equity lens is placed on the LHIN’s activities. The group has two purposes: (1) to ensure that health inequalities are reduced by health service providers who serve diverse populations and (2) to ensure that the right expectations for diversity and inclusion are in place for the health service providers
- The Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group has three priorities: (1) Community of Practice, (2) Health Equity Policy and Planning and (3) a Diversity Data Profile
Health Equity Policy and Plan
- The Health Equity Plan will create an internal health equity training program, develop health equity policies for LHIN governance and operations, and create a health equity plan for Central LHIN that will increase staff capacity and encourage alignment with the community to health equity, demonstrate responsiveness to the community and provide leadership by example.
- Central LHIN hospitals are required to develop health equity plans as part of their accountability requirement; as part of this initiative, a framework and guidelines for heath equity plans will be developed collaboratively with Central LHIN hospitals and other providers
- The goal is to ensure equity of access and service provision, and to reduce health disparities
Community of Practice
- The LHIN has established a multi-stakeholder “community of practice” dedicated to improving health services to diverse clients in the Jane-Finch area (with an emphasis on inclusion and equitable outcomes)
- The goal is to improve health outcomes for clients through inclusive and fair delivery of services
- Connections have been created among community residents, groups, service agencies and health care providers that represent diverse populations
- Members develop and share information about barriers and promising practices to overcome them
- Key priority areas include: newcomer services, community health education and service provider training
- The LHIN is also planning an intensive diversity training session to enhance their members and providers’ knowledge of diversity, inclusion and equity
Research into promising diversity and inclusion practices within Central LHIN is underway