Ontario is taking the next steps to integrate health care services.
Starting on December 2nd, five provincial agencies will begin transferring into the new super agency called Ontario Health.
They include Cancer Care Ontario, eHealth Ontario, Health Quality Ontario, Health Shared Services Ontario and HealthForceOntario Marketing and Recruitment Agency.
The Trillium Gift of Life Network, which is responsible for organ and tissue donations as well as transplant services, will be transferred later.
The 14 Local Health Integration Networks will be clustered into five interim geographic regions and will be led by five transitional leads.
That means nine Chief Executive Officers will be let go.
The government stresses this is an administrative step only and not a merger of LHIN boundaries.
The province says the LHIN’s will eventually transition into Ontario Health or to local Ontario Health Teams.
Officials notes there will be no impact to patients’ access to home and community care or long-term care.
Employees will continue to do the same work, but Ontario Health will be their employer.
Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott will service has the northern regional lead
She was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the North West Local Health Integration Network on May 14, 2018.
