The new health-care administration group in Elgin County has hired its first executive director, an enthusiastic leader the health team found after an “arduous” search.
Deanna Huggett will take the helm of the Elgin Ontario Health Team March 28. She will come to the role from the Center for Addiction and Mental Health, where she is a manager of implementation and quality improvement.
“We’re impressed with her breadth of experience in the health-care system already and her enthusiasm, which appears to be quite contagious,” said Judith Wiley, co-chair of the Elgin team and chief executive of Central Community Health Center in St Thomas.
“She has a history of building teams and collaboration and trust and team spirit, all things that are absolutely fundamental for a well-functioning health team.”
After more than two years in development, the Elgin Ontario Health Team was announced by the province in September. The group involves more than 20 partners, including St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital, Southwestern Public Health and several long-term care organizations.
The Elgin team was established much later than some others in the region. The Western Ontario team that covers London and Middlesex County was announced by the province in July 2020.
Having an executive director in place is a huge step forward, Wiley said.
“We’ve carried this project for over two years on a totally voluntary basis. Our partners have full-time jobs already and have put their heart and soul into building the Elgin team,” she said.
“To have somebody that will be able to devote their full attention to taking this to the next level is a relief and very exciting.”
Pre-pandemic, Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government began an overhaul of health-care planning and administration in the province. Queen’s Park moved to replace the province’s 14 Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs), regional entities that oversee and allocate health-care dollars, with smaller Ontario health teams.
The teams are made up of health-care service providers, including hospitals, mental health and addiction treatment services, and family doctors, that plan and oversee patient care in a geographic area.
The teams are funded by the province and responsible for improving patient experience and health outcomes in their zone.
The Ontario health team model is meant to boost collaboration among local providers so that patients have a smoother time navigating the health system. For example, health teams will work to make sure patients discharged from hospital are connected with home care and primary care followup they need.
The appointment of the Elgin team’s new executive director comes days after another high-profile leadership change in the county. Southwestern Public Health, the health unit in Elgin and Oxford counties, announced on Feb. 14 he had hired Ninh Tran to replace retiring medical officer of health Joyce Lock starting March 21.