The Quinte area board of health has taken two steps in connection with the provincial government’s move to cut its budget and merge it with other boards.
The government cut the board’s funding from 75% to 70% and cut the 100% funding that had been in place for certain programs.
At its meeting on Wednesday, the Hastings Prince Edward Board of Health decided to send a lengthy letter to Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott.
It says the board is, “strongly recommending that the province postpone any changes to the funding formula, to ensure that public health services are not put at risk.” The board also says it will “adjust the way it delivers programs” to adapt to a new funding model.
The letter continues, “As municipal budgets have already been set for 2019, increasing the tax levies to accommodate for retroactive and unexpected changes to the funding formula is not an option.”
Also, it says, “We will adjust the way we deliver our programs and services to adapt to a new structure and funding model.” (Full letter below)
Chair Jo-Anne Albert tells Quinte News she wants to be “less combative”.
Medical Officer of Heath Dr. Piotr Oglaza says the issue is not knowing how the health units will be organized.
“There will be three regions under one million population, these are mainly in the north … the rest of the regions are going to be over a million population so when you look at population, how do you draw the boundaries to get a million people? Are we going to be, in this area are we going to be one of the boards under a million or over a million? It is uncertain.”
He said there are about 600,000 people in this area of eastern Ontario, 150,000 in the more immediate Quinte area.
The board moved $535,885 from reserves to cover this year’s cuts, since it had already set its budget.
Albert who is also the mayor of Tweed is concerned about how much more the municipalities will have to pay.
“We don’t know how they’re going to allocate that funding so that’s the unknown. By October we’re going to have to try and figure it out. Hopefully we’ll have some answers on the regions and how this funding model is going to work out.”
LETTER
The Honourable Doug Ford
Premier of Ontario
Legislative Building, Queen’s Park
Toronto, ON M7A 1A1
(Sent via email to: premier@ontario.ca )
The Honourable Christine Elliott
Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
Hepburn Block 10th Floor
80 Grosvenor Street
Toronto, ON M7A 1E9
Premier of Ontario
Legislative Building, Queen’s Park
Toronto, ON M7A 1A1
(Sent via email to: premier@ontario.ca )
The Honourable Christine Elliott
Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
Hepburn Block 10th Floor
80 Grosvenor Street
Toronto, ON M7A 1E9
(Sent via email to: christine.elliottco@ola.org)
Dear Premier Ford and Minister Elliott,
On behalf of Hastings Prince Edward Board of Health we are writing you today to express our concerns regarding the implications of the 2019 Provincial Budget, as well as to affirm our ability to contribute to Ontario’s plans to modernize public health.
While we recognize the need to implement a sustainable public health system in Ontario, we are urging you to implement any changes in a manner that does not jeopardize the health and safety of our communities and is based on consultation with existing Boards of Health and the municipalities that they represent. We acknowledge that there is potential for administrative and program efficiencies by moving to 10 regional public health entities, however, we have concerns regarding the timing and method of implementation. We are seeking additional information as soon as possible to determine how to address proposed changes effectively and ensure continuity of services in our communities. Until we have details regarding the regional boundaries, service expectations, and funding, it is impossible for us to plan in a meaningful way. We urge you to engage in comprehensive consultation with public health to clarify plans and expectations. With this information, we will be able to work collaboratively and proactively to develop a vision for the future of public health.
We are strongly recommending that the province postpone any changes to the funding formula, to ensure that public health services are not put at risk. As municipal budgets have already been set for 2019, increasing tax levies to accommodate for retroactive and unexpected changes to the funding formula is not an option. We recommend that any changes to the cost sharing formula be postponed until after the regional model is in place, which will allow us to be proactive in identifying efficiencies and opportunities within the new structure. The stability and security of provincial funding is critical to ensure the health and safety of our communities is maintained while we adapt to any structural changes.We will adjust the way we deliver our programs and services to adapt to a new structure
and funding model. We are critically reviewing the way we deliver our programs and services
to determine how we can adapt to a new model. We will work with the Ministry and our
municipal partners to prioritize the delivery of core functions as changes in funding and structure
are implemented. However, we need information as soon as possible regarding the new
regional boundaries and the parameters that will guide decisions to grant exemptions to the
provincial standards in order to proceed with planning.
The work of Public Health continues to be essential to the long-term sustainability of the
health care system, by protecting the health of the population and preventing disease
and injury before it occurs. The Hastings Prince Edward Board of Health looks forward to
working with the Ministry to determine how we can effectively modernize public health in
Ontario, while concurrently maintaining a strong investment in programs and services that will
help reduce cost and strain on the health care system in the future.
Dear Premier Ford and Minister Elliott,
On behalf of Hastings Prince Edward Board of Health we are writing you today to express our concerns regarding the implications of the 2019 Provincial Budget, as well as to affirm our ability to contribute to Ontario’s plans to modernize public health.
While we recognize the need to implement a sustainable public health system in Ontario, we are urging you to implement any changes in a manner that does not jeopardize the health and safety of our communities and is based on consultation with existing Boards of Health and the municipalities that they represent. We acknowledge that there is potential for administrative and program efficiencies by moving to 10 regional public health entities, however, we have concerns regarding the timing and method of implementation. We are seeking additional information as soon as possible to determine how to address proposed changes effectively and ensure continuity of services in our communities. Until we have details regarding the regional boundaries, service expectations, and funding, it is impossible for us to plan in a meaningful way. We urge you to engage in comprehensive consultation with public health to clarify plans and expectations. With this information, we will be able to work collaboratively and proactively to develop a vision for the future of public health.
We are strongly recommending that the province postpone any changes to the funding formula, to ensure that public health services are not put at risk. As municipal budgets have already been set for 2019, increasing tax levies to accommodate for retroactive and unexpected changes to the funding formula is not an option. We recommend that any changes to the cost sharing formula be postponed until after the regional model is in place, which will allow us to be proactive in identifying efficiencies and opportunities within the new structure. The stability and security of provincial funding is critical to ensure the health and safety of our communities is maintained while we adapt to any structural changes.We will adjust the way we deliver our programs and services to adapt to a new structure
and funding model. We are critically reviewing the way we deliver our programs and services
to determine how we can adapt to a new model. We will work with the Ministry and our
municipal partners to prioritize the delivery of core functions as changes in funding and structure
are implemented. However, we need information as soon as possible regarding the new
regional boundaries and the parameters that will guide decisions to grant exemptions to the
provincial standards in order to proceed with planning.
The work of Public Health continues to be essential to the long-term sustainability of the
health care system, by protecting the health of the population and preventing disease
and injury before it occurs. The Hastings Prince Edward Board of Health looks forward to
working with the Ministry to determine how we can effectively modernize public health in
Ontario, while concurrently maintaining a strong investment in programs and services that will
help reduce cost and strain on the health care system in the future.
Sincerely,
Jo-Anne Albert, Chair Piotr Oglaza MD, CPHI (C), MPH, CCFP, FRCPC
Hastings Prince Edward Board of Health Medical Officer of Health and CEO
Mayor, Municipality of Tweed, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Jo-Anne Albert, Chair Piotr Oglaza MD, CPHI (C), MPH, CCFP, FRCPC
Hastings Prince Edward Board of Health Medical Officer of Health and CEO
Mayor, Municipality of Tweed, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
