Central East LHIN Board Approves Integration

Agencies moving forward with integration of hospice services

News

September 23, 2010

At its September 22nd open board meeting, the Board of the Central East LHIN issued a decision to support the facilitated integration of hospice services in Northumberland. With this decision, hospice and bereavement services which are now being offered by Palliative Care Campbellford (PCC) and Hospice Northumberland Lakeshore (HNL) will be transferred to Community Care Northumberland (CCN) by December 15, 2010. In addition, LHIN funding that is currently being allocated to PCC and HNL will also be transferred to CCN once the integration is complete.

The decision was issued after the boards of PCC, HNL and CCN approved a Hospice Integration Plan earlier in the month developed by representatives from the three organizations and the CE LHIN. The Plan contains a Service Delivery Model which ensures that all services, currently delivered by PCC and HNL, will continue and access may even be expanded through the network of seven CCN offices in Northumberland.

As part of the implementation to the new model, a Hospice Advisory Committee will be created by Community Care Northumberland to work with CCN hospice staff and volunteers on local fundraising and awareness and two members of the Hospice Advisory Committee will join the CCN board.

Quotes

“Our thanks to the volunteers, staff and hospice peers who met with the Implementation Planning Team over the summer and provided feedback as the new model was developed,” said Jim Wrigley, Executive Director, HNL. “We will be working on the implementation of the new model over the next few months and your ongoing support is very much appreciated.”

“The Integration Planning Team developed a plan that will result in staff members from PCC and HNL moving to Community Care Northumberland to continue delivering great service and care,” said Deborah Hammons, CEO, CE LHIN. “The LHIN is confident that there will be no disruption in service for hospice clients and the many dedicated hospice volunteers as they transition to this new model.”

“Everyone at CCN is looking forward to welcoming our new hospice team members,” said Trish Baird, Executive Director, CCN. “Hospice is a unique service that will fit well with the many other support services we provide to our local communities.”

“The board and administrative leadership at Palliative Care Campbellford, Hospice Northumberland Lakeshore and Community Care Northumberland are to be commended for their dedication to their communities,” said Foster Loucks, Chair, CE LHIN Board of Directors. “They took a challenging situation and created an integrated solution that will ensure services continue to be delivered to local residents in an accessible, efficient and cost-effective manner.”

Learn More

Please visit the Central East LHIN website – Resource Documents/Integration – for more information on the Hospice Integration Plan.

For more information:
Katie Cronin-Wood
Communications Lead, Central East LHIN
1-866-804-5446 ext. 218
katie.croninwood@lhins.on.ca