Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker has announced the creation of the new Grey-Bruce Ontario Health Team.
“This is part of our government’s plan to end hallway health care and build an integrated health care system centred on the needs of patients,” said Walker. “I’m pleased to see up to $1.1 million in one-time funding for the next two years included with this announcement. This funding is critical as our local OHT continues to develop partnerships for the delivery of integrated and coordinated services.”
The Bruce-Grey Ontario Health Team is one of eight new Ontario Health Teams located across the province that the Ontario government recently announced.
“The OHT will improve the journey for patients, clients and residents as they navigate the health care system here in Grey Bruce. Although people often express satisfaction with their experience with individual health care organizations, we also know that people experience challenges as they transition between different organizations” said Grey Bruce Ontario Health Team (OHT) Planning Committee Co-Chairs Alex Hector and Michael Barrett. “We are very pleased with the Ministry of Health announcement of the approval of the Grey Bruce OHT which will ensure that people will experience a better coordinated and integrated health care system in Grey Bruce.”
Ontario Health Teams are part of a new approach to health care that brings together health care providers as one collaborative team. Working together, they ensure that patients experience easier transitions with one patient story, one patient record and one care plan that is shared between the health care providers. With the addition of these new teams, the province now has a total of 50 Ontario Health Teams which will cover 92 per cent of the province’s population at maturity.
“Throughout the pandemic, Ontario Health Teams have been an essential part of the province’s COVID-19 response, working quickly across all partners to support each other and protect the health and safety of Ontarians,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “These new eight teams will build on the progress made to date by improving outcomes for even more patients and making it easier for Ontarians to navigate their health care journey during COVID-19 and in the future.”
Walker says that thanks to these efforts to better coordinate care and share resources, Ontario Health Teams have been able to respond more quickly and effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic. Working across the entire continuum of care, teams have supported a suite of initiatives that include leading local vaccine rollouts, supporting long-term care homes and other congregate care settings, distributing personal protective equipment, staffing assessment centres and leveraging virtual care. In particular, many teams have helped to address the unique needs of underserved communities by accelerating community outreach efforts and co-designing targeted health interventions.
To support the Grey-Bruce OHT, the government is providing up to $1.1 million in one-time funding for 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 to support the team’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic and coordinate and integrate programs that strengthen health system capacity by linking hospitals, primary care, home care and community services, and other services. This represents an investment of up to $9 million.
