June 14 – Board Of Health Summary
Written by Comms Team, June 16, 2023
New Board of Health Member
Scott Baker was introduced as a new provincial appointee to the Board of Health. Baker will serve a 3-year term and is expected to begin attending Board of Health meetings in October 2023.
Hiawatha First Nation Health & Social Services Update
Sydney Bertrand, Manager of Health and Social Services with Hiawatha First Nation (HFN) delivered an overview of HFN’s Health & Social Services programs, which provide comprehensive and holistic health and social services to HFN citizens to support positive physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Bertrand reviewed HFN’s efforts to build capacity for a proactive, upstream approach to wellbeing, and the emphasis placed on collaboration to achieve holistic health for HFN citizens. Program delivery is driven by an interdisciplinary staff team who collectively provide a range of services and supports, from health care, advocacy, and outreach to assistance with basic needs, physical health initiatives, and home and community care. Bertrand concluded by noting current efforts to balance a growing need for support with an overarching goal of aligning services to promote a holistic approach to health, both on and off reserve.
Stewardship Committee Report: 2022 Draft Audited Financial Statements
Mayor Matthew Graham discussed the most recent meeting of the Stewardship Committee and their review of the Audited Financial Statements for the 2022 budget year. Graham relayed that there were no significant issues with the statements and that the results indicated that the 2022 budget was managed effectively and in accordance with the Canadian Public Sector Accounting Standards.
Oral Report: Association of Local Public Health Agencies 2023 Annual General Meeting & Conference
Dr. Thomas Piggott, Medical Officer of Health, provided an oral report on the proceedings of the Association of Local Public Health Agencies 2023 Annual General Meeting and conference in Toronto. It was the first in-person event in 4 years. The conference program included presentations on the health of the public health sector, including a recent Ontario-wide survey of the public health workforce indicating that staff are experiencing significant burnout. This study found high rates of burnout and experiences of threats, violence or assault during the pandemic. To address these challenges, the importance of caring for the public health workforce through increased access to flexible work arrangements, ensuring access to PPE, and pursuing measures to support personal safety were emphasized. A subsequent presentation from Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore, reviewed learnings from the pandemic, including the relative success of Ontario’s response, as indicated by high levels of vaccine uptake and the balance that was established between protecting public health while preserving individual choice. Dr. Piggott concluded by summarizing advocacy within the sector to address the need for safe inhalation services in response to the drug poisoning crisis, ongoing challenges related to housing and homelessness, the financial instability affecting delivery of public health services, and the need to build capacity to respond to future threats to public health.