Board of Health Meeting
Chair Keith Egli – Verbal report
February 10, 2020
Good evening, bonsoir, Kwe,
Thank you all for being here tonight, for our first
meeting of the Board of Health for 2020.
I would like to begin by honouring the Algonquin
Anishnaabeg people, on whose traditional unceded territory the City of Ottawa
is located. I would like to extend this respect to all First Nations, Inuit and
Métis peoples, their ancestors, their Elders and their valuable past and
present contributions to this land.
In tonight’s verbal update, I will be highlighting a few
recent events.
Ottawa Inner City Mobile Health Clinic powered by TELUS
Health
Ottawa Public Health is proud to be partnering with TELUS
Health, Ottawa Inner City Health, The Royal, the Sandy Hill Community Health
Centre and the Somerset West Community Health Centre to bring a new Mobile
Health Clinic to Ottawa. This new service, officially launched last month,
will provide increased access to primary care, social interventions and mental
health services to members of our community impacted by substance use and
homelessness or unstable housing. Staffing for the Mobile Health Clinic
includes a nurse practitioner, mental health nurse, psychiatrist and people
with lived experience. This peer team plays an essential role in linking people
who need care to the Mobile Clinic to ensure those with the greatest needs
receive care and the ongoing support needed to truly benefit from the
service. The Mobile Clinic will be offering services from a series of
locations supporting those experiencing access barriers throughout Ottawa,
bringing health care to the very places where people who use drugs need them.
It is through initiatives like this that we can offer people the care and
supports they need for improved health, wellbeing and social connectedness.
The timing of the launch event was such that neither
Vice-Chair DeGiovanni nor I were able to attend. I would like to thank Member
Tilley for attending and for speaking on behalf of the Ottawa Board of Health.
SafeTalk Training for Councillors and Staff
On Janaury 21st Ottawa Public
Health delivered a safeTALK suicide prevention workshop to 4 City Councillors and
18 Councillors’ staff.
Suicide prevention is an important
public health priority and delivering this suicide prevention workshop
internally at the City of Ottawa to staff, as well as for partners in the
community, is part of Ottawa Public Health’s comprehensive mental health and
substance use strategy.
As City Councillors and staff, community
members often reach out to us when they are experiencing challenges. These
challenges come in many forms and the most serious can be difficult to assist
and address. This is why, as Chair of the Board of Health, my office and I
helped coordinate an opportunity for City Councillors and their staff to attend
a training session on suicide prevention.
The safeTALK suicide prevention training
provides participants with skills to recognize someone with thoughts of suicide
and how to provide that individual with support in a safe way. Participants
were also given information on how to connect an individual with suicide
first-aid resources in the Ottawa community.
I am appreciative of several of my Councillor
colleagues who attended, including two from the Board of Health, Councillor
Gower and Councillor Kavanagh, thank you!
Suicide Prevention Training for Media
On Friday January 24th, with the support of
world-renowned suicide prevention expert Dr. Mark Sinyor, OPH held a session
with local media to discuss the topic of suicide, and how and when to report on
suicide to ensure safety and minimize harms.
Suicide prevention is a priority for Ottawa Public
Health, and we know from research and evidence, that the way suicide is
discussed publicly, including in the media, can have an impact on those who are
struggling with thoughts and feelings of suicide - both a positive and a
negative impact.
This session was a learning opportunity for all participants,
who took away information that will help shape and inform communications in a
way that will help those in need - encouraging them to reach out for support,
supporting those who have lost others to suicide, and ensuring we are doing
what we can to reduce harms and risk.
We are grateful that journalists and editors from CTV
Ottawa, Postmedia, CBC and Radio Canada, 1310 News and Ottawa Matters, Global
Ottawa, staff in media relations with the Ottawa Police Services and the City
of Ottawa, as well as Deputy Police Chief Steve Bell, took time out of their
busy schedules to attend, learn and share.
ROMA Annual Conference Update
The Rural Ontario Municipal Association, or ROMA, held
its Annual Conference January 19th to the 21st. Members
may recall that when the Ministry of Health released its discussion papers on
Modernization in November, we were told that preliminary findings would be
reported at ROMA. I understand this did take place. Given that one of our Board
Members, Member El-Chantiry, attended ROMA as one of the City’s representatives,
I would like to invite him to update Board Members on the updated provided to
ROMA delegates last month.
(Member El-Chantiry speaks)
Thank you, Member El-Chantiry, for attending ROMA and for
providing the Board with this update.
Public Health Modernization
The topic of Public Health Modernization has been front
and centre for almost a year now and we have a staff report on tonight’s Board
Agenda.
Dr. Etches and her team have been working hard on
consulting various partners and stakeholders, soliciting ideas and suggestions
from OPH staff, reaching out to provincial representatives and to other health
units to put forward a thoughtful proposal for a stronger public health sector.
An in-person meeting with the Ministry’s consultation
team had been scheduled for February 4th but has been postponed in
light of the Novel Coronavirus the need for readiness planning by both public
health and emergency health services personnel. As of today, we do not have a
new date for that in-person meeting. Board Members will be informed when that
happens.
I know Dr. Etches will also be talking about Public
Health Modernization in the context of the report that is on tonight’s agenda
so I will leave it for her to provide more information.
That concludes my verbal report. I’d be happy to take any
questions.
Board of Health Meeting
Dr. Vera Etches – Verbal report
February 10, 2020
Good evening, Bonsoir, Kwe,
This evening I will be providing updates on a variety of
topics, including the current flu season, Novel Coronavirus, cannabis edibles,
the new Seniors’ Dental Program, Ottawa-area Ontario Health teams, and our
2019-2022 strategic priorities.
Flu Season
Commençant par la saison
actuelle de la grippe
As of Friday, Ottawa Public
Health has distributed 268,185 doses of the influenza vaccine to providers in
the community, which is already more than what was distributed last season, and
we continue to distribute doses every week. Additionally, pharmacies have
received 173,760 doses from the Ontario government.
In total, OPH offered 54 influenza immunization clinics
in the community, at hospitals, group homes, shelters, to name a few. So far,
OPH has provided 11,229 doses of influenza vaccine, compared to 9,400 at the
end of last season. Ces
chiffres indiquent un désire continue de recevoir des vaccins de SPO, malgré
l'accessibilité dans le secteur privé. The vaccine is still available from
pharmacies and physicians’ offices as well as through OPH for children 5 years
of age and under and their family.
Since the start of the season, there have been 501
confirmed cases of influenza reported in Ottawa residents (70% flu A and 30%
flu B), which is only the tip of the iceberg of infection in our community, and
31 influenza outbreaks in institutions. We continue to see a busy
season with the co-circulation of influenza A and influenza B.
Novel Coronavirus
I’ll turn now to the topic of the Novel Coronavirus
outbreak that has been the subject of much media coverage.
On December 31, 2019, Wuhan, China reported a cluster of
cases of pneumonia, which were later confirmed as caused by a new type of
coronavirus not previously identified in humans, and on January 30, the World
Health Organization declared
the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern given the
number of cases beyond China’s borders and evidence of human-to-human
transmission.
OPH monitored the outbreak throughout January, created a
new webpage and information products for many partners, and on January 28th,
OPH moved into Enhanced Operations and put in place an Incident
Management Structure (IMS) to facilitate decision making and flow of
information.
OPH is following the lead of the Ontario Ministry of
Health, Public Health Ontario and the Public Health Agency of Canada in
responding to the Novel Coronavirus, with a focus on keeping the people of
Ottawa well. The current strategy in Canada and Ontario is to detect cases of
the novel coronavirus in people who have traveled to an affected area, or who
have been in close contact with a confirmed case, and to limit local
transmission. Self-isolation of returning travellers has recently been added
to screening measures and distribution of information at entry points to
Canada.
OPH is working closely with the local hospitals, the
Champlain Local Health Integration Network, local Community Health Centres, as
well as with Ottawa’s various emergency services such as Paramedics, Fire and
Police to ensure that all partners continue to receive timely an accurate
information. I recently provided an update to the City’s Emergency Control
Group as a whole and we discussed the contributions of various city
departments.
We have also been providing information and support to
local schools and school boards, childcare, long term care and postsecondary
institutions, the International Airport, bus and train stations, Community
Resource and service Centres, and other organizations that serve and interact
with the public in various capacities and sectors.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has assessed
the public health risk associated with the current novel coronavirus as low for
Canada. The risk to public health
is continually reassessed as new information becomes available.
There
are currently no confirmed or presumptive positive cases of
novel coronavirus in Ottawa. If a suspected or confirmed case of
novel coronavirus were to be identified in our community, Ottawa Public Health
would work with the Ministry of Health, Public Health Ontario Laboratory, and
local hospitals in the management of the case and any contacts to reduce the
spread of the virus in Ottawa.
Working with our partners,
such as OPS, community centers and social services, OPH is also aiming to help
reduce stigma and discrimination towards people who have travelled from China.
We understand that this situation has been causing anxiety and
people have many questions. We encourage residents to visit and refer people to
OttawaPublicHealth.ca/Coronavirus
for the latest information.
Santé publique Ottawa continuera de travailler avec non
partenaires, de surveiller la situation et de fournir des mises à jour au
besoin.
There are things residents can and should do to reduce
the spread of infection, which is also useful for limiting the spread of
influenza in our community.
- Wash your
hands often using soap and water, or use hand sanitizer
- Avoid
touching your eyes, nose, and mouth unless you have just washed your hands
with soap
- Cover your
cough and please sneeze with a tissue or into your arm, not into your
hands
- If
possible, stay home if you are sick
- Avoid
visiting people in hospitals or long-term care centres if you are sick
We also recommend that people get their flu shot if they
have not already done so because the influenza season is ongoing.
Cannabis Edibles
On
January 16, 2020, cannabis edibles, extracts, and topicals became available for
purchase online and in retail stores in Ontario.
OPH has been providing public education regarding these
new products for the general population, as well as, youth, young adults, older
adults and persons who are pregnant, breastfeeding/chest feeding, and
parenting.
OPH’s messaging has focused on the potential harms of
edible products, including overconsumption in adults and accidental ingestion
among children, harm reduction strategies, and safe storage practices.
OPH is working with local retailors to share our
messaging and gain a greater understanding of their clients’ needs.
Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program
The new Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program
launched late last year. Depuis ce temps, plus de 150 personnes âgées se sont inscrites
et reçoivent maintenant des soins dentaires dans le cadre de ce
programme. OPH continues to promote the program to dental offices and
recruit additional providers. As well, OPH has submitted 2 business cases to
the province to increase dental treatment capacity to serve clients. If
approved, these projects will increase the number of chairs at the Merivale
Dental Clinic from 7 to 11, and allow us to add a new 10-chair dental clinic
within Ottawa.
Ontario Health Teams
As mentioned in December,
the Ministry of Health announced 24 Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) that are moving
forward as part of the initial cohort of successful applicants.
While the Ottawa Health Team was the only one approved in
our area, the other local teams continue their work.
“Kids Come First”/”Enfants avant tous” has been endorsed
as an innovative model. The Ministry will continue to work with CHEO and
partners to develop the precise form and structure for this type of integrated
care model. In the meantime, planning work continues in 2020 in several areas,
including Coordinated Access and Navigation Service for children and youth with
complex mental health and/or addiction needs; and, empowering parents, children
and youth to self-monitor immunization requirements through the use of
CANImmunize. Santé publique Ottawa participe au soutien des deux initiatives.
The Ottawa East OHT, led by Hôpital Montfort, was given
feedback by the Ministry to strengthen their application in select areas before
it can be formally approved. The team has been actively working to address this
feedback and hopes to receive approval in the coming months.
Finally, Ottawa Public Health has recently become
involved with a team in West Ottawa, the Three Rivers OHT. This group is led by
Arnprior hospital and includes Queensway Carleton Hospital and West Carleton
Family Health Team, among many other partners. This OHT is currently “In
Development” and is seeking approval to move to the next stage of the OHT
assessment process, Full Application, in the coming months.
Reporting on our Strategic Priorities
In December, the Board of Health received an update on
progress made in implementing our 2019-2022 Strategic Priorities. That report
included a commitment to provide the Board with regular updates through
semi-annual reports. I am pleased to advise that, further to the request and
internal discussion, we will in fact be providing the Board with quarterly
updates going forward. Look for your next update on the April meeting Agenda.
Dr. Brent Moloughney
Finally, I am pleased to welcome Dr. Brent Moloughney,
the new Associate Medical Officer of Health who successfully competed to fill
the vacancy left with Dr. Genevieve Cadieux’s departure.
Dr. Moloughney joined us on January 29th,
bringing over
25 years of public health experience working at both regional and provincial
levels, and as a public health consultant across the country. We are very
pleased to have him join our OPH team and have already appreciated his insights
and questions related to health system change. Please join me in welcoming Dr.
Moloughney back to Ottawa, where he formerly served as a resident, including
during the time of the mass meningococcal vaccination campaign of over 170,000
young people. Bienvenue
Brent.
That concludes my verbal update. Il me fera plaisir de répondre à vos
questions.