The Grey Bruce Ontario Health Team (OHT) is announcing its selection of 10 new Community Council advisors.
According to the OHT, the team in Grey Bruce is made up of residents who have experienced the health care system in the region, and will contribute to the overall quality and safety of care across the counties.
The advisors act as a voice for patients, clients, residents, families, and caregivers across Grey Bruce.
According to the province’s Ministry of Health, Ontario Health Teams were introduced to as a way of organizing and delivering care to patients in their local communities.
Two additional spots are available on the Grey Bruce OHT council: one for a Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation resident, and another for a Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation resident.
Co-Chairs from the Grey Bruce Ontario Health Team Planning Committee Alex Hector and Michael Barrett say they are excited to have a group of individuals engaged with the health team.
“We know that the community council advisors bring diverse experiences and perspectives on the local health care system, and are eager to apply their knowledge to improve the experiences of care for patients, clients, residents, families, and caregivers across Grey Bruce,” says Hector and Barrett.
Hector says the council is currently looking at reforming and making system-wide changes in how health care is provided in Grey-Bruce.
He identifies four primary objectives the council is aiming to achieve: improving patient and caregiver experience, improving patient and population health outcomes, improving the work-life experience of health care providers, and improving the value in reducing the per capita cost of health care.
“The Ministry of Health has articulated this is the quadruple aim and the minister has invited health service providers from across the province to get together and form a health team and focus on the quadruple aims,” says Hector. “So really, what we are up to is starting that journey, and that is going to take some time.”
He adds they will begin a formal collaborative approach to improve health outcomes and how the services are accessed, as well as other objectives.
“We haven’t identified the specific projects that we are going to initiate to help those two groups, we are just in the process of doing that now,” says Hector. “We expect some more clarity in terms of the projects against those two groups later on this fall.”
