Overview of Operation Health Protection: Activities to Date

1. Overview of Operation Health Protection: Activities to Date alPHa All-Members Meeting April 22nd , 2005

2. Operation Health Protection In June 2004, the Minister released Operation Health Protection: An Action Plan to Prevent Threats to Our Health and to Promote a Healthy Ontario Vision:A revitalized system that supports the health of Ontarians, through concerted action to prevent disease and protect against known and emerging diseases. Strategic Priorities: • Creation of a Health Protection and Promotion Agency • Health Emergency Management • Infection Control and Communicable Disease Capacity • Infrastructure for Health System Preparedness • Health Human Resources • Public Health Renewal

3. Health Protection and Promotion Agency Goal: Creation of a new Health Protection and Promotion Agency that will promote and protect the health of Ontarians, provide laboratory and epidemiological services, as well as translate research and information into practical assistance, tools, advice and support to Ontario’s health care providers. Activities to Date: • Cross-jurisdictional review of other Public Health Agency models • Agency Implementation Task Force struck – two meetings held to date

4. Health Protection and Promotion Agency (Cont’d) Agency Implementation Task Force Next Steps: • Roundtables – Infectious Diseases; Health Promotion, Chronic Diseases and Injury Prevention; Environmental Health – Spring 2005 • Interim Report Summer 2005 • Examining options for interim governing body in 2005 • Laboratory Review • RFP issued • Contract awarded • Results of review in summer 2005

5. Methodology & Inputs for Agency Development Reference Panel INTERIM REPORT End of June 2005 INTERIM BOARD FINAL REPORT End of Dec. 2005 Implementation Planning Round Tables AITF Commissioned Research

6. Agency Development – Overview of Workplan PHASE ONE Governance and Core Functions March – June 2005 Interim Report (June) PHASE TWO Interim Board & Leadership (December) Implementation Planning * July – Nov 2005 * Implementation planning activity will be guided by and dependent on the proposed roles and responsibilities of the Interim Board and CEO

7. Health Emergency Management Goal: Strengthening of Health Emergency Management to ensure that Ontario has the capacity to respond effectively to health emergencies. Activities to Date: • Creation of the Emergency Management Unit • Formation of the Emergency Medical Assistance Team (EMAT) • Release of the Ontario Health Pandemic Influenza Plan (OHPIP) • Completion of MOHLTC Emergency Response Plan • Hospital Emergency Preparedness Initiative

8. Infection Control & Communicable Disease Capacity Goal: Enhance Ontario’s capacity to prevent, manage and respond to existing and emerging infectious diseases, as well as future outbreaks. Activities to Date: • Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee established in summer 2004 • Three sub-committees fully functional: each has established work priorities for the next 6 months • Fourth sub-committee to be established within coming months: Communicable Diseases

9. Infection Control & Communicable Disease Capacity (Cont’d) Regional Networks • Implementation of 4 initial networks underway: Southeastern Ontario (Kingston), Champlain (Ottawa), Hamilton/Niagara and Northwestern Ontario • Guiding principles for network development & implementation are being developed by PIDAC working group including standard job descriptions, terms of reference and MOUs • Infrastructure components now being put into place in each of the 4 regions: • Network Coordinator • Medical Lead • Network Steering Committee • Each network will be required to conduct an inventory of Infectious Diseases/Infection Control resources (human, education, standards/guidelines, etc.) within the region for acute, LTC and community based care

10. Infection Control & Communicable Disease Capacity (Cont’d) Infection Control Training • Steering Committee struck to assist the Ministry with development and implementation of an initiative to deliver infection control core competency education to front-line healthcare workers. Membership includes key stakeholder associations- CHICA-Canada, OHA, OMA, RNAO, LTC (for and not-for profit), OPHA • Core competency content being developed by a working group of the Steering Committee – work is well underway • Ultimate audience for the education is all front-line healthcare workers – to be implemented in a phased manner, targeting different portions of the health sector (acute, LTC, community) as each phase moves forward • The first training tool (s): e-learning-based – scheduled to be piloted in a number of acute care facilities late spring/early summer of 2005

11. Infrastructure for Health System Preparedness Goal: Modernize Ontario’s processes for collecting and analyzing information related to infectious diseases, and of delivering timely information to healthcare providers and to the public as required. Activities to Date: • Public Health e-Health Council established • Participation in Canada Health Infoway’s Surveillance Steering Committee • Public Health Communications Portal • Integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) for Communicable Disease reporting and case/contact management

12. Health Human Resources Goal: Create a made-for-Ontario health human resources strategy to support the rebuilding of public health capacity and to ensure appropriate surge capacity in an emergency across all health sectors. Activities to Date: • Ministry’s Health Human Resources Strategy is under development – for example, cancer area has been developed • Recommendations for public health human resources have been integrated into the terms of reference for the Capacity Review Committee

13. Public Health Renewal: Increased Independence of CMOH Goal: Increase the independence of the Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH). Activities to Date: • Bill 124 to increase in the independence of the CMOH was introduced in the House on October 14th, 2004 • The Bill received Royal Assent on December 16th, 2004

14. Public Health Renewal: System Enhancement Goals: • Rebuild public health capacity within the province and enhance public health leadership and accountability. • Improve system collaboration and partnerships between public health and other parts of the healthcare system. Activities to Date: • Capacity Review Committee (CRC) struck January 2005 • Developmental work has been undertaken on a Public Health Performance Report • The provincial funding share for public health has increased to 55% as of January 1st, 2005