Health care funding to change in northwestern Ontario

Superior Morning4:00LHIN Concerns - Linda McIntosh

The delivery of health care will change in Northwestern Ontario. And that worries Linda McIntosh of Ignace.

Health care agencies across northwestern Ontario will have their funding changed in the coming years.

The North West Local Health Integration Network is starting to develop 'health hubs', with the first being in Dryden and Manitouwadge. The hubs are managed by local hospitals, who decide how to fund other health agencies.

The LHINtold CBC News everything from acute care to home care will be affected. It means that many small health organizations that would specialize in a specific health sector, will have their decision making power scrapped.

"In rural communities, they face a lot of challenges with lack of economies of scale, lack of large organization with many different services. It's really difficult in rural locations to provide a comprehensive mix of services," said Brian Ktytor, the senior director of health system performance for the LHIN.

He said although the way that funding will be delivered has not been finalized, changes are coming.

Changes cause uncertainty

The changes have many worried in the health sector, including those who use the services of local health centres.

Linda McIntoshused to sit on the board for the Mary BerglundCommunityHealth Centre in Ignace.

"They're taking away the local autonomy. They're taking away the local decision making. The people who know us bestwill no longer be on the board. They don't have any self interest in our community because they don't live here."

McIntosh said she's worried that hospitals won't care about health prevention, something the health centre focused on.

"Wellness and prevention of illness are also key components of our board's work." McIntosh said.

She cited the example of diabetes patients living heathy lives, because of health prevention in the community.

"Because, people who have diabetes are immediately taken under the wing of the health promoter here, and you have regular testing and consultations and weighing in. All of the things you need to keep people who have diabetes, as well as they can be. And, to prevent people at risk of diabetes from getting diabetes."

"To have a central board that doesn't know us, and doesn't live with us, and doesn't understand us suddenly having all of our money and our budget, and control of our funds, and will then dole out the money here and there as they think it should be spent," could be problematic, she said.