WELLINGTON COUNTY – The three hospitals in the county have joined the Guelph Wellington Ontario Health Team (OHT).
Officials announced on June 28 that Groves Memorial Community Hospital in Aboyne and North Wellington Health Care (NWHC), which operates hospitals in Palmerston and Mount Forest, were joining the team, formerly known as the Guelph and Area OHT.
“Working together with our local partners will build a better healthcare experience for patients,” stated Jackie Ranahan, past board chair of Groves.
“Our team will work together to share information and coordinate with one another to make it easier for patients to receive the care they need from a single, coordinated team of providers.”
OHTs are being developed across the province to “provide a way of organizing and delivering care that is more connected to patients in their local communities,” officials say.
Under OHTs, which are replacing former Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs), health care providers – including hospitals, doctors and home and community care providers – work as one coordinated team, no matter where they provide care.
Rob Mungham and Susan Honeyman are patient advisors working with the Guelph Wellington OHT to co-design improved healthcare services.
“As patient advisors for the [Guelph Wellington OHT] we are encouraged, and support the efforts to have a truly patient-centred healthcare system,” they states in the press release.
“We are very excited with the work completed to date and welcome our Wellington partners to the table. This will provide for better population health for our region.”
Officials say initial planning efforts for the Guelph Wellington OHT will “focus on the palliative, mental health and addictions populations and enhancing patient care coordination within primary care teams.”
Guelph Wellington OHT partners are listed below:
- Primary Care:
- East Wellington Family Health Team
- Guelph Family Health Team
- Guelph Community Health Centre
- Hospitals:
- Guelph General Hospital
- Groves Memorial Community Hospital
- North Wellington Health Care -Louise Marshall Hospital & Palmerston & District Hospital
- Mental Health and Addictions:
- Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo-Wellington
- Long-term Care Home:
- Joseph’s Health Centre Guelph
- The Elliott Community
- Community Services:
- Traverse Independence
- Home Care:
- Home and Community Support Services Waterloo Wellington
- Palliative Care:
- Hospice Wellington
- Stonehenge Therapeutic Community
- Other partners include:
- Guelph Wellington Paramedic Services
- Guelph & Area Physician Association
- Homewood Health Centre
- eHealth Centre of Excellence
- Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health
- University of Guelph
For more information about the Guelph Wellington OHT visit www.guelphandareaoht.com.
