Communications

OHA Releases Recommendations Regarding Creation Of Local Health Integration Networks


Ontario Hospital Association
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Friday, February 25, 2005

Hospitals Supportive of Government’s Integration Plan But Call For Greater Clarity on Mandate, Funding and Governance Issues

TORONTO – Ontario hospitals are supportive of the government’s plan to better integrate health care by creating Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs). However, greater clarity on the mandate and role of these new organizations, as well as key funding and governance issues is needed to ensure their effective implementation the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) said today.

“The creation of Local Health Integration Networks is one of the most significant and complex changes in the history of health care in Ontario,” said OHA Board Chair, Sheila Jarvis. “We’re making these recommendations because Ontario’s hospitals want health system transformation to succeed.”

“LHINs have the potential to improve planning and integration of health care, added OHA President and CEO Hilary Short.” “But there are still a lot of questions that need answering when it comes to how these networks will improve front-line patient care.”

The OHA today released a report entitled “Collaborating for Change: Optimizing the Effectiveness of LHINs in Ontario.” Based on the information that has been released to date by the government, this report frames many of the key hospital opportunities and challenges related to the creation of LHINs, and provides recommendations to the government on how best to move forward to ensure they are implemented effectively. Key recommendations include:

  • The need to clarify accountability and governance structures, the role and mandate of LHINs and the relationship between providers, other LHINs and provincially-based programs and services such as Cancer Care Ontario, the Cardiac Care Network and the Child Health Network;
  • Further advancing voluntary governance of hospitals and other healthcare providers;
  • Ensuring that LHINs are representative and act in the best interests of their communities;
  • Phasing in the divestment of funding responsibilities to LHINs over time and maintaining provincial responsibility for the setting of hospital funding rates;
  • Establishing a provincial specialized service agency to monitor, fund and evaluate provincially-based programs and services;
  • Creation of a detailed workplan by the government, with clear deliverables, performance objectives and evaluation criteria.


“Ontario hospitals welcome the government’s Made-in-Ontario solution to health care integration,” said Jarvis. “By respecting independent community governance in hospitals, the province is helping to ensure that LHINs are built on strong foundations. But we still have a lot of work to do to put the remaining pieces in place.”

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