The Timiskaming and Porcupine health units could merge as soon as 2024, says Dr. Lianne Catton
Following the announcement of the voluntary merger between the two health units yesterday (Aug. 30) afternoon, Catton, the Porcupine Health Unit (PHU) medical officer of health, told TimminsToday that depending on approvals and the overall process, it could "quite possibly" happen in 2024.
The announcement is in the wake of the province saying it's offering cash and support to health units that voluntarily merge.
“I think because we've worked together closely throughout COVID and for other activities and because we know right now there is some provincial ministry support for this, or at least aligns with some direction that is being set forward, we do hope and expect that the timeline will be not too long,” she said.
“But we'll really have to see how the next little while goes before we're able to confirm any particular timeline.”
For staffing, Catton said at this point, "programs and services, local connections with staff and our teams, and local offices and programs and services will all remain the same.”
“At this time, what we do know is that we really need all local public health staff and all existing offices to increase the capacity to deliver quality public health programs and services for residents across the northeast,” she said.
Catton said the merger is an incredible opportunity to improve capacity for the benefit of public health programs and services and to strengthen local connections in each community across both regions.
“And really having that surge response and emergency capacity response to really strengthen public health. Between Porcupine and Timiskaming we have complementary characteristics, skill sets, and expertise among the team that really will help build a stronger public health for all as we move forward and we serve some similar communities in terms of a high francophone population, relationships with First Nation communities and Indigenous populations, as well as Amish and Mennonite populations,” she said.
“And so really looking forward to continued collaboration with the local partners that we share, which are many already, and the local partners that we will continue to maintain connections with as we move forward.”
The discussion surrounding a voluntary merger has been in the works since the '90s, Catton said.
“It’s actually been discussed locally between the two health units and also referred to in several documents and papers since the late 1990s,” she said.
“So, this discussion isn't really new but it definitely increased since 2019 with the modernization plans that were put forward by the ministry and then really confirmed during COVID between the teams that merging and being able to build on strengths and capacities would really result in strengthening public health across the communities.”
There are many next steps, Catton said.
“While, we've been talking about this for some time, and the discussions have definitely increased over the summer and we're moving forward with the board's support from each health unit, there's many next steps involved, and so it will take a little bit of time,” she said.
“One of the important steps, obviously, is going to be having ministry and government approval, but there are going to be many next steps in looking at how we will build a stronger public health unit overall and strengthen public health programs and services across the combined region.”
The Porcupine Health Unit coverage area includes the Cochrane district and Town of Hornepayne. It has offices in Cochrane, Hearst, Hornepayne, Iroquois Falls, Kapuskasing, Matheson, Moosonee, and Smooth Rock Falls, with the main office being in Timmins.
The Timiskaming Health Unit has offices in New Liskeard, Kirkland Lake and Englehart.
Minister of Health Sylvia Jones made the voluntary merger announcement last week at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference. She said there would be one-time funding and support for the organizations that choose to merge.
A ministry spokesperson later told the Canadian Press that the province would be working with health units to determine what the one-time funding is.
Back in 2019, in an effort to reduce the number of public health units in Ontario, the Ford government announced plans to reduce the number of public health units from 35 to 10.
At that time, the Timmins-based organization said it would be merging with Muskoka, North Bay, Parry Sound, Sudbury, Algoma, Temiskaming, and part of Renfrew. Those plans never came to fruition.
In regards to the 2019 discussions, Catton said Timiskaming and Porcupine were the last health units that were scheduled to have their consultation with the province and ministry when the COVID pandemic hit.
“And so at that point in time, there had been no sort of plans per se, but we were definitely at that point looking to say that an amalgamation or voluntary merger between Porcupine and Timiskaming would definitely demonstrate some benefits in strengthening public health,” she said.
“The discussions didn't necessarily stop, but obviously our attention was taken and really focused on the COVID pandemic until sort of really having the opportunity to try and look forward again this summer post-pandemic.”
