The Ontario Health Team of Northumberland is launching a local first – a collaborative county-wide cross-sector community conversation (and data-gathering exercise) centring around health and well-being.
The announcement said that input and information gathered will not only guide OHT-N planning and activities – it will also be summarized and made available to health and community-care agencies in support of collaborative system planning for health and well-being priorities throughout the community.
“Since the formation of the OHT-N in December 2019, this partnership of patients, caregivers, health and community-care providers in Northumberland has been working together to improve experience with local care and services, and to improve health outcomes across our community,” said OHT-N co-chair (and Northumberland Family Health Team Executive Director) Adrienne Bell-Smith in the announcement.
“To set priorities and actions for our next phase of work, the OHT-N has begun creating a Strategic Plan – and we want to hear from you,” added co-chair (and Community Care Northumberland Executive Director) Trish Baird.
From March through May, this broad-based community consultation will gather feedback to such questions as:
What do you value most about health and well-being supports in Northumberland?
What could OHT-N partners and member agencies be doing better to meet your health and well-being need?
What improvements to health care, community services and patient experience would you like to see?
This information, along with related statistics and data in such important areas as demographic trends, will:
Form the basis for the OHT-N's first Strategic Plan (with a scheduled release date in June or July)
Inform the individual strategic plans of OHT-N member organizations
Be summarized into public reports for use by others
“The goal is a single process supporting multiple outcomes for the benefit of the whole community, summed up Scott Macpherson, inaugural chair of the OHT-N's Experience Partner Council – the first direct patient-and-caregiver-engagement body to represent the county-wide health and community-care system.
“We're excited to be taking this innovative team approach to strategic planning, rather than each partner collecting this information individually,” Macpherson said.
“The process we're rolling out is designed to gather input from a broad cross-section of voices and perspectives. The opportunity before the OHT-N and other community partners will be to address the themes that emerge with tangible actions in the years ahead to truly improve health and well-being outcomes and service experience for all residents of Northumberland.”
The OHT-N is offering several ways for you to have your say.
Complete the Community Survey – Until April 4, you are invited to log on and share your experiences with health and community services, and what you and the people in your life most need for your health and well-being. Those completing the survey are eligible for a chance to win one of two $100 Visa gift cards.
Join a Provider Focus Group – If you are a health-care or community-service provider in Northumberland, you may join one of the upcoming targeted group discussions between March 21 and 23 to share insights and ideas that will inform the priority-setting process.
Participate in a Community Conversation – During March, a team of 37 patients, caregivers and health-care and community-service providers will be reaching out to people across the county for one-to-one conversations about local services and where the focus should be in improving experiences and health outcomes.
Participate in Strategy Hives – Using information gathered throughout the consultation process, a series of mini-planning sessions (called Strategy Hives) will take place during May. Patients, caregivers, community members and providers of health care and community services will work together to create a vision and define priorities for improved care and services in Northumberland. More information on Strategy Hives will be available in early April.
Organizers are hoping you will be part of this process by sharing your perspective and experience through one (or more) of these opportunities. To learn more, access the survey and register for one of the other input opportunities, visit OHTNorthumberland.ca
