LHIN working to strengthen primary health care planning

News Release
NW LHIN

Primary Care Lead collaborates to improve access to health care for North West LHIN residents
The North West Local Health Integration Network took another major step today in strengthening and further integrating primary care into local health planning by announcing Dr. Richard Almond as the Primary Care Lead for the North West LHIN.
Dr. Almond who practices at the Fort William Family Health Team in Thunder Bay will work with the North West LHIN to ensure that primary care services are better integrated with the work of other health sectors in our region. By working together, the LHIN and local health service providers continue to implement strategies to improve access to quality care for local residents.
Across the province, LHINs have been building great partnerships with local primary care providers. The introduction of a Primary Care Lead in each of the province’s 14 LHINs is endorsed by both the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Ontario Medical Association and is in line with the government’s Action Plan commitment to bring planning for the full patient journey under the LHINs. Through this collaborative work, local primary care providers will continue to strengthen these partnerships and focus on implementing system initiatives identified locally by the LHIN.
In the North West LHIN, local initiatives have been identified through extensive community consultation and include Emergency Department/Alternate Level of Care (ED/ALC); Mental Health and Addictions; Chronic Disease Prevention and Management; and System Integration.
“Having Primary Care Leads in each LHIN shows the government’s commitment to improving access to health care. This is good news for Ontario’s Action Plan for Health Care. Patients – especially seniors - will benefit from the earlier intervention and case management that our primary care physicians and their teams provide,” said Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.
“Ontario’s doctors know that progress has been made in improving and strengthening the health care system but believe there is more work to be done. By appointing Primary Care Leads in each of the LHINs, and building on existing partnerships and successes, local family physicians can work more closely with other health care providers to improve access and find innovative ways to save the system money that can be re-invested into patient care," said Dr. Stewart Kennedy, President, Ontario Medical Association
“As the LHINs take on responsibility for planning for primary care, the addition of Dr. Almond to our team will support the North West LHIN in continuing to achieve more accountability for delivering better care for better value by ensuring that the primary health care needs of people in our community are identified, coordinated and addressed as a truly integrated system. As the Primary Care Lead for the North West LHIN, Dr. Almond will be instrumental in focusing on local system initiatives that will integrate with our primary care providers as we create a seamless system of care for the residents of Northwestern Ontario,” said Laura Kokocinski, North West LHIN CEO
“Primary care is the backbone of any health care system. I am committed to help move our system to a more patient centred, cost effective one that helps move the focus of care to the community and improves all aspects of the provision of care," said Dr. Richard Almond, North West LHIN Primary Care Lead
QUICK FACTS
Dr. Almond sat on Thunder Bay District Health Council in the 1980s and has been involved in medical education for many years. He is currently the Program Director for the Family Medicine Residency Program for the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. He also sits on the College of Family Practice’s Accreditation Committee and on the Working Group on Maternity Care nationally. Dr. Almond has been the team physician for the Lakehead University sports teams since the 1990s. Individuals in the Northwest have improved access to interprofessional care teams through the addition of 14 Family Health Teams (FHT) across the region and two Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics in Thunder Bay. The Health Care Connect program, led by the North West Community Care Access Centre, has connected 2,421 individuals registered with the program to a primary care provider since 2009/10.
In 2011, the North West LHIN led an eHealth project to connect physician electronic medical records with hospital information systems allowing patient information to flow seamlessly between 12 hospitals and 26 clinics. In 2011, the North West LHIN provided funding for health service providers to purchase eight new telemedicine units for the purpose of expanding access to care for rural and remote northern clients. People who previously did not have access to primary care in their home community receive care through the mobile units of the NorWest and Mary Berglund Community Health Centres. The mobile units travel to small remote rural communities in the Thunder Bay and Kenora Districts.
LEARN MORE
Read Dr. Walker’s report Caring for Our Aging Population and Addressing Alternate Level of Care Visit the Ontario Medical Association website Visit the Provincial LHIN Priorities section on the North West LHIN website for information on the LHINs’ Access to Care initiatives
Media Contact:
Kelly Arnold, Communications Specialist,
807-343-5549, Toll free 1-866-907-5446, ext. 2030
LHINs are the only organizations in Ontario that bring together health care partners from the following sectors - hospitals, community care, community support services, community mental health and addictions, community health centres and long-term care - to develop innovative, collaborative solutions leading to more timely access to high quality services for the residents of Northwestern Ontario and Ontario. By supporting these important partnerships, LHINs are ensuring that Ontarians have access to an effective and efficient health care system that delivers improved health care results and a better patient experience.