Windsor-Essex Ontario Health Team still in development, says Hôtel-Dieu

The Ontario Progressive Conservative (PC) government introduced on Monday 24 initial Ontario Health Teams (OHT) that will provide service to patients across the province.

Notably absent from the list, however, was a team for Windsor-Essex region. 

According to Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, that's because the Windsor-Essex Ontario Health Team (OHT) is still "in development."

Bill Marra, vice president of external affairs for Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare and executive director of the healthcare provider's Changing Lives Together Foundation, said the Windsor-Essex OHT is part of the second stream of teams set to roll out as part of the Ontario Progressive Conservative (PC) government's Phase 2 for the OHT initiative.

"Our next deadline for a progress report is in January 2020," said Marra.

Marra added that the in development nature of the future Windsor-Essex OHT "has absolutely no impact on Windsor patients."

"Streams of service will continue as they are in place now," he said. "Ontario Health Teams were introduced by [the] government in order to improve and organize the service delivery of care in a more coordinated fashion.  It is about improving the connectedness no matter where or how care is provided."

Ontario government announces Chatham-Kent Ontario Health Team

The Ontario government's Monday announcement came on the heels of an event held in Chatham-Kent this Saturday, during which Conservative Chatham-Kent-Leamington MPP Rick Nicholls and provincial Labour Minister Monte McNaughton introduced the Chatham-Kent Ontario Health Team.

Lori Marshall, president and CEO of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance and co-chair of the Chatham-Kent OHT, said Saturday's announcement was a signal for the 24 initial groups of OHTs to "start working on our year one plans."

Marshall explained that year one for the 15 groups that are part of the Chatham-Kent OHT will be focusing on patients aged 55 and over who have some level of chronic disease — a group that represents roughly 11,000 people.

She added that plans will likely take approximately five years to reach full maturity, allowing complete coverage of all Chatham-Kent residents. 

"It is going to take some time for us to learn how to work together, how to create things like common forms and common policies and practices, and to put in place that 24/7 navigation for people who need it," Marshall said. 

Included in the group of 15 are Alzheimer Society Chatham-Kent, Erie St. Clair LHIN Home and Community Care and the aforementioned Chatham-Kent Health Alliance.

In the early stages, however, Marshall said "nothing changes with respect to the individual organizations."

"We all continue with our separate corporations and the groups that we currently support," she said.