Chatham-Kent, Lambton health units explore voluntary merger

Chatham-Kent and Lambton County’s health units are exploring a merger as the province offers funding as an incentive.

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The units’ boards “are moving forward with a process to explore the opportunities and impacts of a voluntary merger,” they said in a joint release Dec. 13.

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The decision follows the Health Ministry’s August announcement it would strengthen the public health sector by offering one-time funding, resources, and supports to local public health agencies that merge voluntarily. This includes plans to restore $47 million in annual base funding for public health units, starting Jan. 1, to the level previously provided under the 75 per cent provincial, 25 per cent municipal cost-sharing ratio.

The province also said it will work with its partners to “refine and clarify the roles of local public health units, to reduce overlap of services and focus resources on improving people’s access to programs and services close to home.”

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The one-time funding, resources and supports will be offered to local public health agencies that voluntarily merge to streamline and reinvest in expanded programs and services, the province said.

To receive one-time funding, mergers must take place by Jan. 1, 2025, the release said.

“We have counted on public health and its skilled workforce to protect and promote health through daily routine programs and services and during extreme situations that pose a significant health risk to our communities,” Brock McGregor, chair of Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit’s board, said in the release.

“Exploring opportunities under the new provincial landscape for public health is important to possibly resolve some of the long-standing capacity challenges facing the sector and aligning with new funding commitments. . . proposed by the province for 2026.”

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Ontario currently has 34 health units, each responsible for delivering programs and services to promote and protect public health in their service areas, the release said.

“It is our responsibility to investigate these transformative changes outlined in the ministry’s plan for strengthening public health, which includes voluntary mergers of existing public health units and a review of local public health roles and responsibilities,” Kevin Marriott, chair of Lambton Public Health’s board, said in the release.

“Existing partnerships currently exist among Lambton and Kent counties for shared school board districts under the Lambton-Kent District. . . and St. Clair Catholic District school board(s), and a shared neighboring First Nations community with Walpole Island,” he said.

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Asked if health boards are being given the chance to find a solution or have one imposed by the province, Marriott said, “Back in 2019, that was kind of the feeling (the province) was putting out there.”

Just before COVID, when meetings were planned with the Health Ministry, the province had said it wanted to reduce the number of health units to 10, he said.

Now, the province is “stressing voluntarily,” Marriott said. “They have softened their stance a lot.”

McGregor also noted the province is encouraging the voluntary process.

“I believe it’s in the best interest of the residents of Chatham-Kent that we are fully engaged in any decision-making impacting the local provision of important health programs and services,” McGregor said.

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“We do get the feeling it’s a lot more open.”

He said the ministry has indicated it wants to maintain or improve front-line services “but not upset the apple cart.”

The provincial government previously indicated more expansive merger plans for public health in Ontario.

In the 2019, Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives announced in their inaugural 2020-21 budget that Lambton and Chatham-Kent would be part of a proposed regional health office combining five public health agencies from Windsor to Woodstock, including London-Middlesex.

A public health board merger took place in the region in 2018 when the St. Thomas-Elgin County public health board joined with Oxford County to become Southwestern Public Health.

With files from Jennifer Bieman, Postmedia

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