A merger between the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit and Peterborough Public Health is a step closer to becoming a reality.
At a press conference on Wednesday, leadership from both sides announced they will seek provincial approval and funding to voluntary merge.
Chair of HKPRDHU David Marshall says joining together, is best pathway possible to protect and promote public health.
In August, the Ministry of Health announced plans to strengthen the public health sector by offering one-time funding, resources and supports to local public health agencies that decide to voluntarily merge by January 1, 2025. In response to this announcement, the Boards of Health for HKPR District Health Unit and PPH decided to move forward with a process to explore the impacts of a voluntary merger. In November, a Joint Board Merger Exploration Working Group was established with representatives from both health units and external consulting firm Sense & Nous to prepare a comprehensive Feasibility Assessment Report.
Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Natalie Bocking, believes this really is a great scenario.
What is next? The HKPR District Health Unit and PPH Boards of Health will submit a joint voluntary merger application to the Ontario Government by April 2nd that demonstrates how a proposed merger would benefit the communities they serve, while supporting outcomes and priorities identified for public health by the Ministry of Health. Mergers of public health units require provincial legislative change, and as such this will not be definitive until the province has approved this and commits adequate funding for its success later in the year.
Both the HKPR District Health Unit and PPH will continue to operate independently during the provincial review period.
(Written by: Jordan Mercier)
