Human Resources Legislative Update
Ontario Establishes Shared Health Services Agency for LHINs
Date: January 6, 2017
The Ontario government has filed a new regulation under the Local Health System Integration Act, 2006 (Act) to further support recent reforms to the province’s frontline healthcare service delivery model.
Now in effect, O. Reg. 456/16 formally establishes the “Health Shared Services Ontario” Agency (Agency) pursuant to the regulatory powers set out in section 39 of the Act. Of particular note to healthcare providers, the objectives of the Agency are to provide “shared services” to local health integration networks (LHINs) and community care access corporations (CCACs), including the following:
- Human resource management, including employee benefits and assistance
- Labour relations and collective bargaining
- Information technology, data management, and oversight of provincial patient care technology platforms
- Logistics
- Finance and administration, including accounts payable and inventory management
- Procurement
- Communications and public relations
- Home and community care program support and implementation, including support for policy development and implementation and quality improvement.
It remains to be seen what, if any, directives and policies the Minister may issue to the Agency relating to the exercise of its powers or the performance of its duties. We will continue to monitor and report on these ongoing reforms to the LHIN and CCAC framework, highlights of which are available in our recent publication, Ontario Passes Key Healthcare Reforms to Expand LHIN Framework and Integrate Frontline Patient Service Delivery.
