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1. Ontario Public Health Relations with First NationsAn Assembly of First Nations Perspective Dr. Kim Barker, Assembly of First Nations
February 8, 2008
2. Outline Context
Challenges
Successes
Key Steps Forward
3. Context Limited human resources
There are no multidisciplinary teams in community nursing stations comparable to provincial hospital/clinical settings
Geographic distance
Limited medical transportation
High curative burden
Few linkages in planning, program development and resource allocation with health determinants
Impeded by administrative and funding agreements
Jurisdictional barriers in primary and secondary/tertiary care systems
Fiscal imbalance
4. Context (ctd) No regional or a national community development plan for First Nations health
Fragmented program development some improvements made under Upstream Investments
No study or data indicating the impact of under-serviced First Nations populations in Canada
3% cap on federal funding envelope on April 1/06 versus 6.5% annual growth in Canada Health and Social Transfers
Pilot projects by First Nations in the Health Integration Initiative have demonstrated benefits of collaboration and co-operation in delivering health services to First Nations across jurisdictions, e.g.
The Vancouver Island project adapted a chronic illness model at the community level;
Elsipogtog used a population health model for mental health services; and,
North Peace Tribal Council developed case management tools with diabetic passports for clients to carry.
5. Challenges with Current Relationships in Ontario Public Health Agency of Canada
Health Canadas First Nations and Inuit Health Branch
Disease Surveillance in Ontario
Public Health Capacity in Ontario
Health Human Resource Crisis
Jurisdictions including the new LHINs
Health Protection and Promotion Act
Mandatory Public Health Programs
6. Challenges: Federal Agencies The Creation of the Public Health Agency of Canada
The long term vision of First Nations and Inuit Health Branch of Health Canada
The role of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
Why does this make relationship building in Ontario Challenging?
7. Challenges: Disease Surveillance in Ontario Dependency on paper based reporting by nursing stations and health centers who are understaffed
Lack of inclusion early on in the development of i-phis and now Panorama in the implementation plan and lack of clear funding options at the outset
Stories of duplicate vaccination on and off-reserve
Why does this become a challenge for relationship building?
8. Challenges: Building Capacity Lack of opportunities for training and skill building in partnership with local public health units
Lack of time by the Public Health Units to assist with building capacity
Lack of Boards of Health prioritizing capacity building as an upstream investment
Absence of comprehensive plan that would determine a vision of public health units and FNIHB public health employees identifying capacity needs and development of a plan
9. Challenges with Relationships defined by Jurisdictions A well known story to this audience which is complicated by personal opinions of some Medical Officers of Health in the Province translating into unclear Provincial mandate.
Equal issues on both sides where some Public Health Units feel unwelcome on reserve
10. Challenges: Human Resource Crisis With no shortage of jobs it comes as no surprise that employers that can pay more will be more attractive
Up until recently the role of Telehealth has not been used to the extent that it could in the areas of public health service and training
11. It often appears that money dictates public health reactions rather than legislation
Ongoing debate as to whether HPPA applies on reserve
Again challenges on both sides in the areas of tobacco control
Water has been another example Challenges with Relationships where there is no Public Health Legislation
12. Challenges with Relationships where Mandatory Programs exist Mandatory
Some programs lack community cultural sensitivity eg HPV
Duplication in services and complexities in provincial services communicating back to health care providers on reserve to ensure continuity
13. Potential Successes: Surveillance Immunization work with Chiefs of Ontario
Inclusion of Chiefs of Ontario in the Panorama role out and implementation
Participation by Ontario in the Client Registry Project
Supports First Nations data ownership and capacity building in public health, research and surveillance
Supports concurrent pan-Canadian surveillance projects
14. FN Client Registries
15. Potential Successes: FN PH Programming
16. Potential Successes: Legislation Greater emphasis on tripartite agreements as a potential next step
Greater capacity building to encourage Band Councils to pass public health laws
Need for early inclusion in the development of Federal legislation which is anticipated by PHAC
17. Potential Successes: Funding and Capacity
18. PHF: Funding and Capacity (ctd) Funding to Reflect:
Total population base
Age and gender of population base
Socio-economic composition of the population base
Services communities provide to residents of other communities
Remoteness factor
Local cost of living
Population growth
Local needs, e.g. workload measurement and health status
19. Potential Successes: HHR Considerations
20. Key Steps Forward Public Health Framework pilots in three regions
Joint Workplan with AFN-HC:
Cross-jurisdictional agreements
Sustainability
Management and Accountability
Data Infrastructure
Legislative Base for Public Health
Joint submissions to address current key programming gaps, e.g. mental health, food security, injury prevention, continuing care
Fostering transfer of funding and capacity to First Nations health authorities
Promoting innovation in new Upstream Investments, AHTF and AHHRI
21. Pilot Status Year one began May 2007
Four Arrows MB, Kenora ON, File Hills QuAppelle SK
Year one is focusing on (1) governance including the agreement of the content of a tripartite agreement with Prov, Feds and FN (possible quad-partite in ON with the Public Health Unit, (2) identification of programs and services to be included in years 2-5 and (3) phase 0 of the Canada Health Infoway sponsored Client Registry project
22. Next Steps Increased collaboration between the COO public health initiatives and the Kenora Project with Provincial and Public Health Unit services may inform us the way forward
Evaluation of year one activities in Kenora
Proposal to be submitted for next phase of Client Registry with Canada Health Infoway