Tweed, ON September 17, 2021 – The Minister of Health, the Honourable Christine Elliott, backed by local MPP Todd Smith, announced today at Gateway Community Health Centre’s premises in Tweed the official designation of Hastings Prince Edward Ontario Health Team (HPE OHT).
The HPE OHT is a collaboration of more than 40 health and social service organizations in the Hastings and Prince Edward counties, including representation from primary care (interprofessional primary care and physicians), home and community care, hospitals (Belleville, Quinte Health Care, Providence Care, ), community support agencies, hospice care, public health, addictions and mental health services, rehabilitation, emergency medical services, and midwifery services, among others. The HPE OHT’s leads are executive co-chairs Mayo Hawco, Executive Director for Gateway Community Health Care, and Sheila Braidek, Executive Director for Belleville and Quinte West CHC.
Barb Gunning, President of Gateway’s Board of Directors, sits on the HPE OHT Patient Advisory and Governance committees. “As a community member and patient, I am encouraged that our new model of health care will bring us closer to coordinated care without barriers regardless of where you live in the Hastings and Prince Edward counties.”
Residents will be invited to volunteer on action teams as partners and participate at the strategic level on the development of our Ontario Health Team. There will be opportunities for citizens to participate in initial engagement sessions starting this fall.
“This is key- residents will be able to share first-hand their experiences in navigating the current system, describe barriers to accessing care, and communicate the supports needed for caregivers.” William Bissett, Director
“It has been exciting to watch as primary care providers and community agencies/leaders have come together to get to this stage. With the announcement of the OHT, I look forward to action in addressing the challenges for our patients. The solutions are not easy but with such a cooperative effort, I am optimistic that we are in a great position to modernize primary care and improve integration with our service partners.” Dr. Chuck Mustard
“Collaboration amongst all partners is a remarkable opportunity to build a network of connected care that will include patients, family members, and caregivers,” explained Mayo Hawco. “Everyone involved in the HPE OHT has been working together on establishing an infrastructure where we are linked together, with the patient at its centre, providing coordinated and timely care, using compatible technologies, to deliver the highest level of care. The complexities, time, and effort required to coordinate care the way we do today will be no longer reside solely with patients and caregivers. Now that’s progress.”
