The Election is over. Now the LHINs Are Firing Up Their Engines.
All 14 LHIN CEOs finished up a series of post election planning sessions today. Leonard Domino & Associates has been keeping our ear to the ground during and after the election to understand how the LHINs will proceed with the new government in place. Numerous conversations with senior decision makers in the LHINs and Ministry of Health have provided us with insights that are useful for your organization to strategically plan its next steps to align your goals to help fulfill the mandate of the LHINs.
What happens now that the election is over?
- "It's time to move forward. The election is over. We have our mandate to make changes with".
- "There will be no slowing down of our plans … we plan to move ahead, which is why we just spent the last few days discussing our next steps together".
- "Some are asking what if there is a new Minister … that won’t make any changes to our mandate or our agendas … additional briefings with the new Minister might be needed … but we are all set to continue to move forward".
When will the next round of Service Accountability Agreements (SAAs) come out?
- "The SAAs between the LHINs and the Ministry of Health are done".
- "There is no secret … they are available for the whole public to view: Service Accountability Agreements
- "Now the focus will shift to the SAAs between the LHINs and the hospitals … we want to move fast and get these completed in the next couple of months".
How about the rumours that the LHINs believe that the SAAs include areas which are beyond their control?
- "Are those agreements perfect? There is always room to make improvements. That doesn’t mean we are disappointed, but it will give us something to work from the next time around".
- "We are not going to change our focus. We are working to make measurable results in health care".
Will the responsibilities of the LHINs change?
- "Some people have talked about public health getting added to the system, like the other provinces have with their regional systems … most of us believe that now is the time to create stability with what we have, and make it work".
How about the repeated message from the Minister that the CCACs will be a part of the integration?
- "The LHINs look at CCACs as the fulcrum … as a pivot point in the system … they are key players in integrating the various service providers".
- "There is one main reason the boundaries of the CCACs were shifted to be the same boundaries as the LHINs: this allows us to strengthen our partnership with the CCACs".
- "The alignment of the borders should send everyone a very powerful message as we (LHINs & CCACs) are sharing the same catchment area".
What does this mean for you, as a Health Care Provider?
1. It’s only a matter of time.
- Whether you are a hospital or community health provider, your accountability agreements are coming.
- Get to know what they will mean for changes to your organization, in order to keep up with the evolving need for increased standards and quality.
- Find ways to get your organization’s needs included in the creation of the SAAs.
2. Don’t waste time.
- Debating about the meaning of a new Minister or rumours of upset LHINs, or post election pondering won’t help your organization move in the direction that the LHINs are going.
- Focus your organization’s leaders and management to think of ways of making improvements that relate to the LHINs main goals.
3. The LHINs are trying to achieve measurable outcomes to prove the value of their existence.
- Seek out ways that your organization can become more efficient, or better integrated into the whole system.
- This might include creating new partnerships with others in your own sector, or reaching out to others outside of your sector who relate to the intake and flow of your patients or consumers of service.