South East Health Unit

Three eastern Ontario boards of health merge

The boards of health for Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health (KFLAPH) and Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit (LGLDHU) voted last month to create the new South East Health Unit.

The new health unit covers a much larger area—nearly 20,000 square kilometres— and serves more than 550,000 residents. The new health unit also sees a new governance structure and board of health representatives from across the new geographic region.

Dr. Piotr Oglaza, KFLAPH medical officer will be the medical officer of health and CEO for the new merged unit. Dr. Ethan Toumishey and Dr. Lianna Li will be the deputy medical officers of health, with Dr. Toumishey supporting the Hastings Prince Edward region.

“The merger has given us a unique opportunity to transform how we deliver public health services in our combined communities. It’s truly an exciting time for public health in the Southeast region,” said Dr. Oglaza.

Dr. Ethan Toumishey has kept County Council up to date over the past year, with multiple deputations. He says staff will be able to work with more focus, rather than multitasking with many duties. He also noted that the HPEPH unit was spread very thin, and that the merger will offer greater capacity and better service in general and more coverage when someone leaves or is off work.

The merging process will be funded by the Ministry of Health for the first three years.

The health units will receive a total of $10.87 million in one-time transition funding. Hastings Prince Edward’s share is about $4.6 million plus $350,000 for capital costs.

The newly formed Board passed the necessary bylaws for the South East Health Unit to function and elected Jan O’Neill, Hastings County Mayor, as Board Chair; and Judy Greenwood-Speers, County of Frontenac Councillor, as Vice Chair.

“It’s truly an exciting time for our three legacy agencies,” said Jan O’Neill. “Speaking for the Board, we’re committed to working together to find new and innovative ways to best serve our various communities.”

The responsibilities of the South East Health Unit remain the same as those of the legacy agencies: to provide public healthbased programs that help prevent illness and injury, promote health and wellness, and protect residents from environmental health hazards.

Sophiasburgh councillor Bill Roberts holds the County’s board seat for the new health unit. He says the merger has been a work in progress for quite some time.

“We’ve been hard at work on this ‘voluntary’ merger since November 2023. And any organization so dedicated to the task at hand that it meets on New Years Day, as our new SEHU Board of Directors did this month, is a hugely dedicated and focused one,” said Roberts.

Roberts says the goal is to deliver more effective and efficient frontline public health services to Prince Edward County and the Quinte/Hastings region.

“I believe we can accomplish that by streamlining administrative costs and investing in improved delivery of illness and injury prevention, enhanced public health education, and more robust public health services overall.”

He also notes that the province recently passed the More Convenient Healthcare Act, and the SEHU intends to make that a practical, working reality.

“Of course any merger or organizational integration comes with challenges, but if over the next 12 to 24 months we can validate our model, hopefully the new SEHU can act as a template for other Ontario mergers and further health-centred innovation.”

Efforts are underway to develop new branding for the South East Health Unit, which is expected to take several months. In the meantime, you will see logos and other advertising material from the former health agencies. You will also see some documents using the legal name South East Health Unit.

Office addresses, phone numbers, websites and social media accounts have not changed at this time. Residents can continue to interact with their local public health office as they usually would until otherwise directed. For more information visit hpepublichealth.ca. or call 1.800.267.2803.