Links
Integrated Health Service Plan
Equity Highlights
The NSM LHIN board has set 3 strategic directions and 9 strategic goals
- One of the key goals is “addressing inequities for those populations most likely to experience systemic barriers”
IHSP 2007-2010
- The LHIN recognizes the importance of the social determinants of health (the “factors that affect people’s health”) which include: income and social status, education, employment and working conditions, as well as biology and genetics, gender, culture, healthy child development and access to health services
- A key IHSP goal is to improve Aboriginal health status; the health care system must respect Aboriginal culture
- The NSM LHIN established the Aboriginal Health Circle supported by a small Secretariat to address Aboriginal health priorities (including mental health and addictions services and the integration of holistic healing practices into mainstream health care services)
- There were also plans to partner in the development of 2 new CHCs in NSM
- Reducing barriers to care was also a key goal à the LHIN hosted a 2 part forum in November 2007 to identify and prioritize systemic barriers to accessing health services (2008-09 Annual Service Review); the LHIN determined the two priority barriers on which the LHIN focused its future planning: housing and poverty. These barriers have been incorporated into NSM LHIN planning principles which will underpin the work of LHIN Regional Action Groups
- The LHIN also launched an education campaign to raise public awareness of the various visible and invisible barriers to accessing health care to help everyone understand and reduce them
- The LHIN also endeavoured to understand the needs of: (1) Francophones, (2) the frail elderly and (3) Women
- The LHIN promised to establish a regional action group (in 2008/09) to address women’s health care needs
- The action group was intended to help assess the current state of women’s health issues in the region, complete an inventory of resources and identify additional resources, programs and services that are required (note: I cannot tell from the website if this group was ever formed)
- The LHIN has also requested new ongoing resources where there has been historical inequity or underfunding (i.e. services for those with addictions, supportive housing for the housing)
- The LHIN recognizes that people in the community report a range of barriers to accessing health care, including transportation, information, culture and language barriers as well as stigmas related to illnesses or lifestyle
Current Equity Initiatives
- Five working groups (including a “utilization and equity working group”) are developing action plans to create an integrated system of care for mental health and addictions
- The utilization/equity working group is going to: (1) ensure that services are accessible at the appropriate level and to all population groups, (2) identify and develop tools and processes to enhance consumer involvement throughout the system, (3) ensure continuity of care and (4) develop central access and “no wrong door” policies
- Another key LHIN objective is to understand the health needs of women; expected outcomes include: improved gender equity in access and outcomes for cardiac and cancer care
- Finally, the LHIN is promoting increased equity of the health system for Francophone communities
The Aboriginal Health Circle will play a leading role (in partnership with the NSM LHIN) in developing an environment of collaboration between health stakeholder groups in order to ensure effective delivery of health services to the Aboriginal community.