Province to invest up to $1.1 million in new Windsor-Essex Ontario Health Team

File photo. (CTV)

The province announced Thursday it would be providing up to $1.1 million to help integrate an Ontario Health Team in Windsor-Essex as part of its plan to “end hallway healthcare.”

Ontario Health Teams are part of a new approach that brings health care providers together as a collaborative team to share resources. The new Windsor-Essex team is composed of more than 45 local health care programs and service providers, a news release from the province says.

This includes hospitals, primary care providers, mental health and addictions agencies, long-term care and other community and social services.

“An Ontario Health Team serving Windsor-Essex is another big step forward in ensuring patients can seamlessly access the health care services they need," said Christine Elliott, minister of health. “Throughout the pandemic, Ontario Health Teams have been an essential part of the province’s COVID-19 response, and the Windsor Essex Ontario Health Team will continue to support the health and safety of local residents during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the future.”

The province says the Windsor-Essex Ontario Health Team will “break down barriers in patients’ health care journeys to ensure they receive better and faster care that meet their unique needs.”

This allows for easier transitions from one provider to another with one patient record and one care plan shared between the patient’s health care providers.

The province says the new team will also support the needs of underserved communities through its High Priority Communities Strategy ensuring those residents have safe and equitable access to preventative care, chronic disease management and mental health and additions services.

“The approval of our OHT is a strong endorsement for the tremendous teamwork and collaboration already underway,” said Claudia den Boer and Bruce Krauter, co-chairs, Windsor Essex OHT steering committee. “It will be serving our temporary foreign worker community, those living in high-risk vulnerable communities such as shelters or those struggling with mental health, substance use challenges and other advancing chronic conditions like COPD. We look forward to building on these successes and improving the integration of care focused on the wellbeing of the Windsor Essex community.”

With the Windsor-Essex team, Ontario will have 51 health teams, covering 95 per cent of the province’s population.