Health units for Chatham-Kent and Lambton County are talking about merging

The health units that serveChatham-Kent andLambton County say they're in talksto possibly form one entity that serves the whole area.

The two health units sent out a joint statement Wednesday saying they're looking at a voluntary merger, which could create one large health unit that stretches from Lake Erie to Lake Huron. This comes after the province said in August that it wouldoffer one-time money and support for any public health agencies thatdecide to merge.

The health units say looking into it is the responsible thing to do, especially since the areas already shareservices, including school boards.

"Exploring opportunities under the new provincial landscape for public health is important to possibly resolve some of the long-standing capacity challenges facing the sector and aligning with new funding commitments that are proposed by the province for 2026," said Brock McGregor, chair of the Chatham-Kent Public Healthboard, in a media release.

Several health units are discussing mergers, including the health units representing Algoma and Sudbury.

The province said in 2019 that it intended to combine 35 public health units into 10, but it put the idea on the back burner during the pandemic.

The joint release says the province has indicatedmergers would have to be done by Jan. 1, 2025, to qualify for the one-time funding.