East Toronto Health Partners mark next step in Ontario Health Team Journey

We are pleased to announce that East Toronto Health Partners have progressed to the next phase of the Ontario Health Team (OHT) application process. We’d like to extend our gratitude and thanks to our fantastic partners for their guidance, insights and support along the way – it’s been a long journey to get here and we share this milestone with all of you. This next phase of the OHT application will test the strength of our partnerships and community; and while the stakes are high, we feel strongly that as a collective, we are ready for this next step in East Toronto’s history.

 

In case you missed it: Re-cap on our journey


On May 15, ETHP submitted a Self-Assessment to the provincial government to become an OHT. The ETHP is a network of health and social service providers who have worked in partnership for many years, and deliver a comprehensive basket of services. Together, the anchor partners of ETHP – Michael Garron Hospital, Providence Healthcare (Unity Health Toronto), South Riverdale Community Health Centre, VHA Home HealthCare and WoodGreen Community Services – are committed to creating an integrated model of care that places patients, clients and families at the centre of the Ontario health care system. ETHP will achieve this vision by working closely with service providers, community agencies, primary care physicians, nurse practitioners and other clinicians in East Toronto to co-design care with patients, clients and families. An emerging East Toronto Primary Care Network is currently being developed by physicians and will play a critical leadership role in this evolving integrated model of care.

 

Looking ahead: Community engagement

As we enter the next phase of the Ontario Health Team journey and start the rigorous process of submitting a full application, engagement with our community will be a top priority. Our intention is that all health and community care providers in East Toronto will be informed and involved in this process. We appreciate that our partners are the experts of their own communities and are well-positioned to identify gaps and offer solutions on how to transform care delivery for the distinct populations they serve. We envision a care model that supports innovative opportunities for service integration and partnership across East Toronto.

We will look to all of you – our partners – to help develop a transformative health care model that wraps care and services around patients, clients and families. In year one, we will focus our efforts on three priority populations:

  1. Seniors and caregivers, with a focus on chronic disease
  2. People living with mental health challenges and addictions
  3. Priority Neighbourhoods to meet the local needs of diverse communities

 

Our hope is that if you and/or your networks care for these populations, you will be a part of our co-design process to improve and advance care.

 

While we have collaborated with many of you across East Toronto, we also look forward to forging new relationships and partnerships with those of you we haven’t had the opportunity to work with yet. In the coming weeks, we will reach out to engage with you and the people you care for. We look forward to working together to create a truly integrated care model that improves client/patient and service provider experiences, ends hallway medicine in hospitals and advances access to digital tools and virtual care for all those living and receiving care in East Toronto and beyond.

 

Sincerely,

 

The ETHP Leadership Team:

  • Anne Babcock, President & CEO, WoodGreen Community Services
  • Carol Annett, CEO, VHA Home HealthCare
  • Jennifer Bowman, Vice President, Providence Healthcare (Unity Health Toronto)
  • Lynne Raskin, CEO, South Riverdale Community Health Centre
  • Sarah Downey, CEO, Michael Garron Hospital