Pictured here: New learning experiences happening聽at the School of Global Health.鈥�

91亚色 joins Ontario Health Team

By Elaine Smith 

As a leading academic institution with a strong commitment to social justice and experiential education, 91亚色 is bringing its expertise to the Western 91亚色 Region Ontario Health Team (OHT).   

Ontario Health Teams are committed groups of providers and organizations established by the Ontario provincial government to deliver a full and co-ordinated continuum of care to target populations.  

The Western 91亚色 Region OHT serves Vaughan, Richmond Hill and King 鈥� all suburban areas close to 91亚色鈥檚 Keele campus. These areas have a high concentration of new Canadians, racialized residents and families without a primary care doctor.  

To bridge this gap in care, 91亚色 is collaborating with partners on a proposal to the Ontario government to establish a family health team (FHT) to provide wraparound support to those without a family physician in the OHT鈥檚 service area. The family health team would include family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers, dietitians, and other professionals who would serve this community.  

Lisa Philipps, 91亚色鈥檚 Provost and Vice-President Academic notes that, 鈥淐anadian universities have a central role to play in re-building health care in Canada.鈥� 

鈥淭his proposal is an excellent example of how we are creating positive change by working to support underserved populations and strengthening access to care for more Ontarians,鈥� says Philipps.  

Through this partnership, students will have important new practicum opportunities and researchers will be able to collaborate. At the same time, providers can gain from the skills of students and the high-impact work of researchers from 91亚色鈥檚 many health- and community-related programs.   

published in Feb. 2023 shows that nearly 15 per cent of Ontario鈥檚 population 鈥� 2.2 million people 鈥� do not have a family doctor. The Family Health Team proposal would provide care and guidance to address key areas from nutrition to reproductive and mental health.  

91亚色 currently offers leading nursing and clinical nurse practitioner programs, social work, health technology, kinesiology, health policy and management, clinical psychology, disease modelling and health informatics, as well as physical therapy programming. 

鈥淩esearch has found that health care students are more likely to stay and work in the areas where they do their practicum. This means that it鈥檚 a big win for the people of the region to have our students gain experience in 91亚色鈥檚 catchment, whether through this OHT or the proposed Family Health Team,鈥� says Philipps. 

As a member of the OHT, 91亚色 sits at the leadership table alongside Mackenzie Health (an acute care provider), Reena (serving individuals with developmental disabilities), Hospice Vaughan, and the Alzheimer鈥檚 Society of 91亚色 Region, among others.  

Through participation in this OHT and joint leadership on the Family Health Team proposal, 91亚色 is demonstrating how positive change can begin through community partnerships. 

Click on the icons below to learn how 91亚色 is contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

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