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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2005-01-26, Page 7THE HURON EXPOSITOR, Jan. 26. 2005-7 Health Integration Networks are 'no cause for concern' By Cheryl Heath Expositor Editor District Health Councils (DHC) are going the way of house visits by doctors, but what that means for Huron and Perth counties has yet to be seen. John Robertson, executive director with the Huron -Perth Canadian Mental Health Association and chairman of the Mental Health Network, says the change is cause for concern as there is no way to gauge how much say local health- care professionals will have at the expansive table that will seat members of the soon-to-be introduced Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). "There are a lot of concerns about that," says Robertson, noting the DHC, which will be eliminated in March, allows professionals from Grey, Bruce, Huron and Perth counties to worktogether in order to provide services as efficiently as possible. With the new network, the Ministry of Health will be listening to a body that covers a vast geographic region, stretching north to Tobermory, west to Kettle Point, east of Stratford and south to St. Thomas. In contrast, the Grey - Bruce, Huron -Perth District Health Council, says Robertson, is "kind of the glue that helped things come together." The fact that there is no transitionary period in place is also disquieting, he says. "We have concerns that we are going to be missed," s a y s Robertson, noting present - d a y government funding formulas do not take geographic distances into account. The network will likely have an impact on several health- care related organizations, including the Mental Health Network, says Robertson, who likens the new plan to a "train that is leaving the station and you are watching it go." Robertson also wonders what sort of impact the changes will have on the Huron -Perth Health Care Alliance. "It is such a fundamental change," says Robertson. "It is so big. It has people very, very nervous." Robertson says there is also a perception the move is demoralizing to health- care staff since those facing job uncertainty will not be comforted by the notion that a network is replacing DHCs. Robertson adds it is a shame the DHCs, and the volunteers on them, are being cast aside so quickly. "If you want to end that function, you need to do. that gracefully," he says. D o n Symons, past chairman of the Clinton Public Hospital Foundation and a long- time advocate of the Clinton Public Hospital, is surprised by the move. "I'm wandering how far this goes and how much control we're losing," he says. "It (the network) will be government controlled, that's for sure." Symons says this latest maneuvre has all of the hallmarks of when the Huron -Perth Health Services office closed. While he has not personally heard a lot of concern expressed about Q uoted 'It is such a fundamental - change. It is so big. It has people very, very nervous,'— ' H -P Canadian Mental Health Association director John Robertson the change, he notes the rationale behind that could be because the transition is so sudden. Regardless, says Symons, there is not a lot that can be done at the grassroots level at this point. "It is like closing the door after the horse is gone," he says. Symons says the elimination of the DHC in favour of the network is likely to be unfortunate news for the area. And, he says, the change is unlikely to bode well for the future in terms of having local voices heard at the provincial level. "It came in on the quiet," he says. Symons is anxious to hear what Huron -Perth Healthcare Alliance board members have to say about it. He is also curious to find out what kind of representation the Alliance will have at the network level. Ultimately, says Symons, there is a chance that Huron -Perth services will be more integrated with those in Grey -Bruce and Owen Sound, which could be good for the Alliance. Nonetheless, like Robertson, Symons says he is sorry to see the DHC go in such a manner. "I guess that's democracy ... or something," he says. Alliance CEO Andrew Williams agrees there are questions yet unanswered, including how much say Huron and Perth health- care officials will have at the network level. Williams says though the Alliance knew the network would be introduced, there was some uncertainty about the time line being proposed by the provincial government. Now that the change is here, Williams says the key for the Alliance's four member hospitals is to ensure there is a voice at the table. 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