Development of KDH-sponsored Ontario Health Team continues following Ministry of Health assessment

Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) CEO Frank J. Vassallo announced today that development of its proposed partner-driven Ontario Health Team (OHT) will continue, informed by a formal response received from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (‘the Ministry).

In a letter dated July 18, 2019, the Ministry advised that it had assessed the KDH-sponsored OHT as being “In Development”, meaning that, although there is a strong degree of readiness, further development is needed to progress to the ‘Full Application’ stage.

“Although we weren’t selected to proceed to the full application at this juncture, we are very encouraged by the Ministry’s assessment,” said Vassallo. “The Ministry sees us as clearly on the path to becoming an OHT and has stated that they will dedicate resources to us to support this effort.”

The 40-bed Eastern Ontario hospital completed the Ministry’s Self-Assessment Form in collaboration with a wide array of health and social service partners in its region, submitting the document to the Ministry on May 15, 2019, with a total of 28 partner signatories.

Vassallo noted that the Ministry commented on the KDH OHT’s wide array of diverse partners, including the majority of family doctors in the region. “The feeling among our partners is that this government restructuring of our provincial health system provides us with a rare opportunity to co-design a more patient and family centred system – one that will enable the provision of better coordinated, connected, and integrated community-based care,” he explained.

Patients and families have been and will continue to be an integral part of the development of the KDH-sponsored OHT. “I was very pleased to see the requirement in the Ministry’s Self-Assessment Form for each partner in the OHT to demonstrate a track record of meaningful patient, family and caregiver engagement and partnership activities,” said Bob Hale, the Co-Chair of KDH’s Patient and Family Advisory Committee. “It is crucial for every OHT in the province to be driven by the needs of patients, families, caregivers, and the communities they serve.”

The Ministry announced July 18, 2019 that of the more than 150 Self-Assessments received, 31 were designated as ready to proceed to the ‘Full Application’ stage, 43 teams were designated as ‘In Development’, and the remainder (other than a few who presented a regional/provincial approach) were classified as ‘In Discovery’, meaning they have a greater amount of work to do to progress to the full application stage.

“The Ministry also stated that there is a very small difference between the ‘Full Application’ and ‘In Development’ stages,” Vassallo noted.

The provincial restructuring, considered Ontario’s biggest health system reform in 50 years, was announced February 26, 2019, and the legislation around it came into effect June 6, 2019 under the Connecting Care Act. A major component of the revamp is the formation of Ontario Health Teams, which will be made up of an array of health providers such as hospitals, long-term care facilities, home care agencies and family doctors, and will be responsible to provide the range of health services their populations need. The first wave of OHTs will be announced in the fall of 2019. 

About Kemptville District Hospital

Kemptville District Hospital is Accredited with Exemplary Standing, the highest ranking bestowed by Accreditation Canada. Committed to building healthier communities, we are a model of hospital-led integrated health services within the provincial health system. Kemptville District Hospital consistently ranks among the top hospitals in Ontario for both patient and employee satisfaction. We pride ourselves on being a good partner within the system. Kemptville District Hospital provides primary care management services, acute care hospital services, and advanced orthopaedic care.

For further information contact:

Jenny Read, Communications Officer

T: 613.258.6133 extension 223

Email: jread@kdh.on.ca