Health providers on Manitoulin Island are collaborating together to form their own Ontario Health Team to serve the Manitoulin District.
Manitoulin Health Centre president and CEO Lynn Foster says as part of the re-alignment of health care by the Ontario government, the Manitoulin Collaborative of Island area health providers is exploring the possibility of becoming an Ontario Health Team.
Foster adds the working group met yesterday to update the partners on the first round of self-assessment applications with a second-round closing on December 4th.
The collaboration includes The Manitoulin Health Centre, Noojmowin Teg Health Centre, Mnaamodzawin Health Services, Wikwemikong Health Centre and M’Chigeeng Health Services.
The team will be working on preparing a draft of their organization plans by September, a document that will be sent to all Manitoulin Collaborative partners. They will discuss the merits of the case and send it forward for assessment by the province.
A total of 31 OHT applications out of the 150 that had been submitted in the first round received approval to submit a full application. The province initially stated that it hoped to see between 30 and 50 OHTs which, if those numbers remain the ultimate plan, would leave the remaining 19 spots in high demand.
The date when the provincial government will decide whether or not the collaborative will be invited to make a full application has not yet been announced.