President's message: March 17, 2016

President's Message

17 March 2016

Happy New Year from all of us at Public Health Ontario.

In 2015, PHO continued to publish a wide range of knowledge products and resources to support and inform the work of our stakeholders. From surveillance reports to online learning courses, interactive reports and easy-to-use web-based tools, we strive to provide you with high quality information and services that improve the health of Ontarians. I encourage you to see our “Year in Review” to learn more.

Many at PHO have been busy over the last several weeks supporting government and local efforts on the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Ontario. This large-scale initiative requires much coordination and planning within our health care system, and with other sectors, at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. As we saw with this past summer’s Pan/Parapan Am Games, Ontario is well-placed to support work within and between various sectors and jurisdictions.

This is a key theme in the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care’s Patients First: A proposal to strengthen patient-centred health care in Ontario report, which proposes changes to the health care system that include stronger links between public health and other health care services. As well, in the coming year, PHO will be working closely with the Ministry to provide scientific and technical advice and support for two key priorities: the modernization of Ontario’s Public Health Standards and a five-year plan for modernizing Ontario’s immunization system, called Immunization 2020. We welcome the opportunity to support these ambitious and exciting initiatives on health system transformation.

Looking ahead to this spring, planning is underway for The Ontario Public Health Convention (TOPHC) 2016, which takes place from April 4 to 6 at the Allstream Centre in Toronto. Registration is now open. I hope you are able to join us as Ontario’s public health community convenes to explore TOPHC 2016’s theme of “Collaborate. Innovate. Transform,” and the implications for public health. I look forward to seeing you there.

Thank you,
Peter Donnelly,
President and CEO

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communications@oahpp.ca

Updated 17 March 2016