Access, wait times among health care priorities

With its new strategic plan, the North East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) said it could do a better job improving access to care, minimizing wait times and streamlining home and community care.

This week, the North East LHIN — which funds local health care services — unveils its three-year plan, showing Sudbury and the rest of northeastern Ontario continue to face demographic, behaviour and geographic challenges.

“Northerners tend to have higher rates of chronic disease, obesity, substance abuse and multiple chronic conditions,” says the North East LHIN's new strategic plan.

The Sudbury and District Health Unit's (SDHU) latest Population Health Profile, for example, found 32 per cent of adults in the SDHU catchment area were considered obese in 2013-2014, seven points higher than the provincial average (Statistics Canada's Community Health Survey, 2011-2012).

Smoking and heavy drinking rates are also higher in Greater Sudbury and northeastern Ontario than in the rest of the province.

North East LHIN's 2016-2019 strategic plan focuses on three main priorities: improving access to care and wait times; enhancing the co-ordination of care; and strengthening the sustainability of the health-care system.

“We'll be looking to better co-ordinate home and community care services within the system,” said Cynthia Stables, the North East LHIN's director of community engagement and communications.

In addition to many of the bad habits and other social determinants of health that make northerners less healthy, on average, than their southern neighbours, northeastern Ontario also faces greater barriers to access health-care services.

The North East LHIN covers an area around 400,000 square kilometres in size — nearly half of Ontario's landmass — but only four per cent of the population live in the region.

For rural and remote communities, that makes getting access to health care providers a lot more difficult. Stables said technology is helping improve access.

The Ontario Telehealth Network, for example, connects patients in remote communities with doctors through a system that works similarly to Skype.

A 24/7 mental health and addictions support line, operated by the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Northern Initiative for Social Action, is another way people get the support they need no matter where they happen to be, said Stables.

The North East LHIN has said its strategic plan came after consultations with thousands of northerners through online surveys, and in-person engagements across the region.

Stables said the strategic plan falls in line with the province's own health-care plan, and added the LHIN will meet with its partners – including regional hospitals and health units – to ensure their own plans also reflect the same goals and values.