Annual Community Engagement Plan 2012-2013
Table of Contents Introduction 3 Background Overview 3 Our Role and Responsibilities 4 Erie St. Clair LHIN Vision 4 ESC LHIN Strategic Goals 4 Engagement Activities and Capacity Building Efforts: 4 Communities of Specific Focus 8 General Public 8 Aboriginal Community 9 Francophone Community 9 Health Service Providers 10 Physician Engagement 11 Information on Engagement Activities 12 Input and Feedback 12 Evaluation of the 2012 2013 Annual Community Engagement Plan 13 Community Engagement Scorecard 13 Community Engagement Guidelines 13 Ongoing Feedback 13 How will the results of the engagement activities identified in this plan be communicated? 13 Notice of Public Consultations & Information Sessions 13
Introduction All Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) are required to publish a plan for community engagement that is updated on an annual basis. The plan is intended to provide the LHIN community with an overview of activities planned within the fiscal year. This annual plan will target specific communities within the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network (ESC LHIN), where there is both need and opportunity to further develop relationships that are foundational to achieving the vision of the ESC LHIN, and those that will enhance the ESC LHIN s capacity to make progress against the five priorities identified in the Integrated Health Service Plan (IHSP) 2010-2013, Ministry LHIN Performance Agreement (MLPA), and the 2012-2013 Annual Business Plan. Although this plan identifies specific, targeted communities, the ESC LHIN will continue to welcome community engagement opportunities - as yet unidentified - that present themselves over the course of 2012-2013. This document is not intended to provide a comprehensive detailed community engagement plan for activities that are project-related. The community engagement needs of individual projects will be identified in project-specific plans developed in-year and as required. Background Overview Ontario s 14 LHINs are a fundamental component of the government s plan to build a stronger health care system in Ontario and provide a means for local decision making. LHINs are legislated through the Local Health System Integration Act 2006 (LHSIA) which is intended to improve the health of Ontarians through better access to high quality health services, coordinated health care in local health systems and across the province, and effective and efficient management of the health system at the local level. Community engagement refers to the methods that LHINs and health service providers undertake as they interact, share, and gather information from, and with, their stakeholders. Communications refers to the wider array of activities used to inform stakeholders about the activities and actions of the LHIN. The new Community Engagement Guidelines and Toolkit is a foundational document that guides the creation of the Annual Community Engagement Plan. The resources will be used in the planning of all community engagement events. One of the foundations of which LHINs were built on, was community input and engagement. This responsibility is a core value of the ESC LHIN and is respected in LHSIA. The ESC LHIN is responsible for engaging health care providers, consumers, volunteers, and the public about decisions that affect health care in their community. We do this in many ways and strive to engage the community in order to inform, educate, consult, involve or empower stakeholders to participate in planning and decision-making processes to improve the local health care system. Community engagement activities can be ongoing or project specific, outbound, or inbound. 3
The following diagram outlines the spectrum of community engagement that the ESC LHIN uses to determine the most appropriate methodology when planning community engagement: Our Role and Responsibilities The ESC LHIN is a Crown Agency responsible for the planning, integration and funding of 89 health service providers (HSPs) including hospitals, long-term care homes, mental health and addictions agencies, community support services, community health centres, and the Erie St. Clair Community Care Access Centre. The ESC LHIN services the regions of Chatham-Kent, Sarnia/Lambton, and Windsor/Essex which includes over 650,000 people, 89 HSPs, and supports an annual budget of approximately 1 billion dollars. Erie St. Clair LHIN Vision Vision: Better Care, Better Experiences, Better Value ESC LHIN Strategic Goals 2010 2013 Integrated Health Service Plan Strategic Directions - Navigating Change in the Right Lane Better outcomes in alternate level of care Better outcomes in emergency department care Better outcomes in diabetes management (chronic disease management) Better outcomes in mental health and addictions Better outcomes in rehabilitation care and interventions Engagement Activities and Capacity Building Efforts: Community engagement takes many forms and occurs throughout the year in both a general way and in a project specific approach. It is also is a function that is embedded across the ESC LHIN, with engagement activities and initiatives that take place through: Governance initiatives and objectives 4
Health care planning in support of the ESC LHIN Strategic Plan, Integrated Health Services Plan (IHSP), Pan LHIN, and Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) directives Negotiation of Service Accountability Agreements (SAAs) Formal integration of agencies Outreach to the public General decisions made by the ESC LHIN that will impact users of the health care system or those providing services The following diagram outlines the how the joint responsibility for community engagement is structured and carried out in with the ESC LHIN: LAHC: Local Aboriginal Health Committee FLHPE: French Language Health Planning Entity The following are initiatives where community engagement will be undertaking by the ESC LHIN in 2012-2013: Health System Planning and Integration Together, with health service providers, and informed by broad engagement with frontline care workers, stakeholders, and community members, the Erie St. Clair LHIN will develop comprehensives plans for the following: 5
o o o o o Region-wide Mental Health and Addictions Strategic Plan Region-wide Rehabilitation Strategy Region-wide Primary Care Strategy Essex County Clinical Services Plan Aboriginal Mental Health & Addictions Strategy Integrated Health Services Plan 3 Building on the planning and engagement actives set out in the Annual Business Plan, a process for determining a third Integrated Health Services Plan (IHSP) will be implemented. Engagement with stakeholders and community members of Erie St. Clair will be undertaken in order to confirm and strengthen the strategic directions set out by the IHSP and the activities that support its implementation over the next three years. Home First Continue with the implementation of Home First in partnership with the Erie St. Clair Community Care Access Centre (CCAC). Formalizing Home First locally will rely on engagement through the Steering Committee, Geographic Working Teams, clinical education programs, and various ongoing communications. Leadership and Governance Governors and executive leaders from Erie St. Clair funded health service providers will participate in the newly formed Leadership Councils to explore opportunities to develop improved delivery of health care through integration. A ESC LHIN/HSP Leadership Council Forum, which will also include community leaders outside of the council, will be held to establish consensus on a strategic plan for Erie St. Clair LHIN and receive feedback in support of the action plans. Launch a collaborative process under the StrategiCare initiative, which will design a future integrated model and staged implementation plan for hospital services in Windsor/Essex. ESC LHIN Board Committees will be expanded to include membership by community representatives. Continue engagement with local elected officials including MPPs, mayors and other regional leaders through yearly and bi-yearly meetings and regular communications. Networks and Forums Local Aboriginal Health Committee will continue to serve as an advisory committee to the ESC LHIN on the needs and priorities within Aboriginal Communities and opportunities for engagement with the broader First Nations and Aboriginal communities in Erie St. Clair. Work jointly with the French Language Health Planning Entity to implement the action plan, which will include engagement to support their goal of improving access to and accessibility of services in French for three priority population groups: people with mental health and addictions issues, seniors and adults with complex needs, and people with chronic diseases. 6
ESC LHIN will continue to work with the established Advisory Networks to implement key deliverables. Regional forums will be coordinated with LHIN funded health services providers as a means of providing ongoing education, networking, and sharing of best practices. Current ESC LHIN networks and committees include: o Chief Nurse Executive and VP Clinical Services Network* o Chronic Disease Prevention and Management Leadership Team o Diabetes Regional Coordination Centre LHIN Advisory Network o End-of-Life Advisory Network o Home First Steering Committee o Home First Geographical Implementation Teams (Chatham-Kent, Sarnia/Lambton, Windsor/Essex o Local Aboriginal Health Committee o Mental Health and Addictions Advisory Network o Pay For Results Network o Primary Care Council o Rehabilitation Advisory Network o Surgical Advisory Network * as of June, 2012 Communications & Outreach Communicating and connecting with stakeholders through Social Media will be enhanced in 2012-13. These mediums offer enormous potential, especially given the prominent role Twitter and Facebook are playing with media pushing news and drawing from it for future stories. The ESC LHIN Speakers Bureau will be advanced through the support and participation of Erie St. Clair Board Members, acting as ambassadors and reaching out to the community groups where they live and work. ESC LHIN and Ontario Medical Association will partner for bi-annual meetings with local physicians, providing ongoing education, networking, and an opportunity for physicians to provide their feedback on ESC LHIN initiatives and other health care matters. With the addition of Primary Care Leads to LHINs, a Primary Care Council will also support the engagement of physicians in planning and implementing programs, policies or procedures designed to improve the integration of Primary Care within the health care system. 7
Communities of Specific Focus Community Engagement may include a variety of communities and stakeholders during the year, however, in 2012-2013, the ESC LHIN will focus its resources to engage the following populations, and consider other engagement opportunities pending resource availability. The following groups have been identified based on LHSIA obligations, priority projects, and communities of interest that are essential to achieving our planning outcomes: General public Aboriginal community Francophone community Health service providers Physicians General Public 2012 2013 Goal: Increase the profile of the LHIN through engagement and communications targeted and the general public. To achieve this goal, the ESC LHIN will focus on the following actives. Media Engagement: to improve our partnership with local media, leading to mutual understanding of each other s roles and increasing the flow of information through the media to the community Corporate Communications Plan: with the overarching goal of establishing the LHIN as the recognized leader in the planning, funding, and management of local health care, as well as three supportive strategies: o Become more visible and vocal within the community o Provide better information and education on the system and its workings o Support our leadership role by being more vocal about our accomplishments and successes. Be upfront about issues and how we re dealing with them Social Media Plan: to extend the reach of the ESC LHIN and increase access and twoway dialogue with the community Outreach: to community groups through the Speakers Bureau A recent survey of community members and stakeholders of the ESC LHIN indicates that people still do not know what a LHIN is and what we do. This sentiment is echoed by a segment of local media who are the main conveyers of information to the general public. A lack of knowledge of the ESC LHIN can be contrasted with a pervasive lack of awareness and inability for the public to adequately navigate and access health care services. This issue has been reiterated consistently by consumers and stakeholders who have been engaged by the LHIN. In 2012-13, both engagement efforts and communications need to be focused on reaching out to the community for the purpose of establishing the LHIN as the recognized leader in the planning, funding, and management of local health care. Through this outreach, the ESC LHIN 8
should provide communications and engagement opportunities that serve to help people gain a better understanding of the health care system, how it works, and how they can make the most of the services available to them. The ESC LHIN will focus on improving engagement of local media. Through improved media relations, our goal is to ensure that there is mutual understanding of each other s roles and that the media are informed of our ongoing activities, receiving timely information that will assist them in communicating important health care news to the public. A social media strategy will continue and evolve using Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter to reach out and dialogue with ever expanding online communities. A speakers bureau will also continue and be expanded to provide a greater role for ESC LHIN Board Chair and and or Directors to speak with community groups or attend special events. Aboriginal Community 2012 2013 Goal: Improve access to health care services for Aboriginal and First Nations people and focus on developing a better understanding health care needs and barriers to accessing care for Urban Aboriginal and Metis communities. To achieve this goal, the ESC LHIN will focus on the following activities: Develop joint Erie St. Clair /South West LHINs Aboriginal specific regional Mental Health and Addictions Strategy Work with Chatham Kent CHC, Walpole Island First Nations and Moravian Town First Nations as well as other primary care partners to implement primary care services Pursue formal engagement with Urban Aboriginal communities and Métis Communities to determine health priorities, barriers to access, and strategies Examine options for palliative/end-of-life care projects within the Erie St. Clair LHIN preparing for future federal Aboriginal investments To engage Aboriginal and First Nations communities, set priorities for action, and implement new programs, services or policies, the Erie St. Clair LHIN works together with the Aborginal Lead employed jointly by the Erie St. Clair and Southwest LHIN, as well as the Local Aboriginal Health Planning Committee. The committee s membership consist of managers, executive directors and/or chief executive officers of Aboriginal, First Nation and/or Métis HSPs delivering programs and services within the ESC LHIN area or key Aboriginal health stakeholders. Francophone Community 2012 2013 Goal: improve health service providers knowledge of Francophone needs and French Language services (FLS) and increase access to care for Francophone seniors. To achieve this goal, the ESC LHIN will focus on the following actives: Develop and deliver education sessions/materials to ESC LHIN-funded health care providers intended to increase knowledge and awareness about Francophone s and FLS needs 9
Investigate opportunities to develop programs for Francophone seniors, addressing gaps in community support services available Investigate the need for a Long-Term Care French-speaking unit for Francophone seniors in Windsor/Essex and Chatham-Kent The Entité de planification des services en français Érié St. Clair/Sud-Ouest (Erie St. Clair/South West Planning Entity), has a mandate to advise the LHIN on: Methods of engaging the Francophone community in the area Health needs and priorities of the Francophone community in the area, including the needs and priorities of diverse groups within that community Health services available to the Francophone community in the area Identification and designation of health service providers for the provision of French language health services in the area Strategies to improve access to, accessibility of, and integration of French language health services in the local health system Planning for and integration of health services in the area Additionally, the ESC LHIN-based French Language Services Coordinator will assist in identifying health care planning initiatives that require engagement specific to the Francophone population and assist in the coordination and delivery of engagement initiatives. Health Service Providers 2012 2013 Goals: engage continually with LHIN-funded health service providers to collaboratively plan and implement health care programs and services and further integrate the health care system. To achieve this goal, the ESC LHIN will focus on the following actives: Convene the first tri-county LHIN/Health Service Provider Leadership Council Forum, followed by quarterly meetings of county-based Leadership Councils. Continue our role in leading LHIN planning networks and other project specific engagements, to collaboratively plan initiatives identified in the Annual Business Plan, provide ongoing education, networking and sharing of best practices. Develop an engagement plan that involves health services providers in the planning of the IHSP 3. Engaging the leadership of Health Services Providers will be re-focused in 2012-13 through the launch of the newly formed Leadership Councils. The Council, Chaired by the Erie St. Clair LHIN Board Chair, will be a platform to provide greater direction to the health care system in implementing change, as well as consulting members on key health care issues and plans. The ESC LHIN will continue to engage with our HSPs as a primary stakeholder in implementing our Integrated Health Services Plan 2 and the Action Plans captured in our Annual Business Plan. In doing so, HSPs have been and will continue to participate in our Networks, Steering Committees and Working Groups where their expertise assists the LHIN in the design of 10
processes and systems for improving health care. Additionally, their feedback will also be sought through other means as required, such as interviews and surveys. As key action for 2012/13 will be the refresh of the IHSP, HSPs will participate in engagements to support a planning process. Physician Engagement 2012 2013 Goals: Engage physicians through a variety of forums and mechanisms to advance planning for key health care system initiatives, as well as create an engagement platform for working with Primary Care providers, with an emphasis on Family Health Teams, to build a primary health care strategy for the Erie St. Clair. To achieve this goal, the ESC LHIN will focus on engaging physicians in the following actives: IHSP 3 Primary Care Plan Clinical Services Plan Mental Health Strategic Plan Rehab Strategic Plan ehealth The ESC LHIN will continue to engage with local physicians, medical societies, and the Ontario Medical Association (OMA). By continuing to create a strong relationship with local OMA leadership and membership, the ESC LHIN hopes to encourage greater participation both at the strategic and project planning levels. The ESC LHIN and the OMA collectively host physician engagement sessions in the fall and spring each year. The sessions are held in each county and provide an opportunity for an update and discussion on LHIN initiatives as well as give an avenue for physicians to provide project specific and general input. With the tabling of both the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care s Action Plan for Health Care in Ontario and Don Drummond s report of the Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services, the LHINs role in working more closely with Primary Care Physicians will be increasing. Although, concrete plans have not currently been put forward, LHINs will need to concentrate efforts to engage primary health care physicians to position them for their future role and otherwise advance current projects through physician input and support. The role and structure of Family Health Teams provides the best opportunity to begin this work with the physicians and their executive and governance bodies within the teams. 11
Information on Engagement Activities The ESC LHIN uses many methods to make available the details of community engagement initiatives, including the following: Advertising Email campaigns ESC LHIN Website www.eriestclairlhin.on.ca Facebook Twitter YouTube Health Service Provider s communications Media releases and subsequent articles LHINfo Minutes Public Service Announcements Web alerts Input and Feedback The ESC LHIN welcomes feedback from community members. The LHIN uses feedback to inform future CE and planning projects, as a means of tracking trends within communities, and as information to improve on the planning and decision-making processes of the LHIN. Input can be provided in the following ways: Email Standard mail Telephone Online through the ESC LHIN website Facebook/Twitter Project specific avenues such as: public meetings, focus groups, surveys, education sessions Health Service Provider 360 Survey (to be launched in May/June 2012) 12
Evaluation of the 2012 2013 Annual Community Engagement Plan Community Engagement Scorecard A scorecard for reporting on community engagement will be developed and made available to the public as a means of gauging our success in reaching out to stakeholders and community members and the impact engagement had on LHIN activities and decisions. Community Engagement Guidelines As required by the Pan-LHIN Community Engagement guidelines, participants in each of the activities outlined in this plan will be provided an opportunity to evaluate their participation as well as to offer their suggestions for overall improvement of the ESC LHIN approach to community engagement. Ongoing Feedback Any member of the public or HSP is invited to provide their feedback on this plan and make suggestions for future annual engagement plans by sending their comments to the ESC LHIN using the means outlined in the Notice of Public Consultations & Information Sessions section of this document Feedback, comments, and suggestions received in relation to any community engagement activity or consultation conducted by the ESC LHIN will be considered and posted on the ESC LHIN website under the Community Engagement tab. Project related feedback, comments, and suggestions will be posted on the appropriate project page and provided to the project lead for their consideration. All community engagement initiatives will have opportunities for feedback and will be considered for future community engagement plans. How will the results of the engagement activities identified in this plan be communicated? The results of the community engagement plan will be reported within the 2012-2013 Annual Report. Notice of Public Consultations & Information Sessions Notice of planned consultations, as well as any project or consultation-related reading materials, will be posted on the ESC LHIN website. The engagement process may vary depending on the project as the form of consultation must be designed to accommodate the informational needs and goals of the project, and within available project resources. 13
However, any member of the public can provide input and feedback to the ESC LHIN at anytime. General feedback can be forwarded to the ESC LHIN through the following methods: Email : julie.goodison@lhins.on.ca fax: 519-351-9672 mail to: Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network 180 Riverview Drive Chatham, ON, N7M 5Z8 online: www.eriestclairlhin.on.ca telephone: Communications Coordinator at 1-866-231-5446 x 3215 As per the ESC LHINs Compliment and Concern Policy, acknowledgement of receipt of inquiry or feedback is within 5 business days, with follow up communication to be provided on timelines for a full response once it is determine 14