Friday, February 03, 2012
Local Family Physician Joins NSM LHIN Team
The North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN today took another major step in strengthening and further integrating primary care into local health planning by naming Dr. Harry O’Halloran as the Primary Care Lead for the
North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN.
Dr. O’Halloran is a founding member of the Georgian Bay Family Health Team and Medical Director for the Collingwood Nursing Home. He has been a key contributor to the medical care and leadership in the
Collingwood area and served as Co-Chief of Family Medicine at Collingwood General and Marine Hospital from 2006 to 2010. Dr. O’Halloran will work with the North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN to ensure primary care services are better integrated with other health sectors. By working together, the LHIN and local health service providers continue to implement strategies to improve access to quality care for local residents.
Across the province, LHINs have been building great partnerships with local primary care providers. The introduction of a Primary Care Lead in each of the province’s 14 LHINs is endorsed by both the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Ontario Medical Association and is in line with the government’s Action Plan commitment to bring planning for the full patient journey under the LHINs. Through this collaborative work, local primary care providers can strengthen these partnerships and focus on implementing system initiatives identified locally by the LHIN through extensive community consultation to address local health care challenges.
QUOTES
“Having Primary Care Leads in each LHIN shows the government’s commitment to improving access to health care. This is good news for Ontario’s Action Plan for Health Care. Patients – especially seniors -
will benefit from the earlier intervention and case management that our primary care physicians and their teams provide.”
- Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
“Ontario’s doctors know that progress has been made in improving and strengthening the health care system but believe there is more work to be done. By appointing Primary Care Leads in each of the
LHINs, and building on existing partnerships and successes, local family physicians can work more closely with other health care providers to improve access and find innovative ways to save the system money that can be re-invested into patient care.”
- Dr. Stewart Kennedy, President, Ontario Medical Association
“Primary health care, the majority of the time, is the first point of contact between a North Simcoe Muskoka resident and the health care system. Our physicians respond to the needs of the whole person, ensuring continuity of care from pre-birth to end of life – it’s what health care in North Simcoe Muskoka is all about. We are pleased to welcome Dr. O’Halloran as the system lead who will work with our primary care physicians and others to help implement the Care Connections integrated health system plan – ensuring timely, quality care for all North Simcoe Muskoka residents.”
- Bernie Blais, NSM LHIN CEO
"I'm happy to be taking on the role of Primary Care Lead for the NSM LHIN. It's gratifying to see the recognition of the importance of input from grassroots primary care providers. Increased communication and liaison between front line providers and the LHIN should ultimately lead to better care for the residents of North Simcoe Muskoka"
- Dr. Harry O’Halloran, NSM LHIN Primary Care Lead
QUICK FACTS
? North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN has approximately 430 primary care physicians
? The first three years of the ten year Care Connections integrated health system plan is in its early implementation and will see all health system partners working together, ensuring North Simcoe Muskoka residents have access to quality care, closer to home
? Other North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN physician leads are Dr. Giulio DiDiodato, Critical Care and Dr. Mark Mensour, Emergency Department
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