MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
 It has been a busy month for us at OCSA - as I know it has been for many of you! As we anticipate the changes on the way under the Patients First Act, there are sources of information to absorb, consultations to join, and - ultimately - decisions to make.
At OCSA, we're taking steps to prepare the home care and community support sector for the future. Save the date for the exciting events outlined below!
Of course, one of the most significant changes to come is the CCAC - LHIN amalgamation. The Ministry recently provided an update on the organizational structure of the new LHINs, and anticipate a combined savings of $10.7 million in administrative efficiencies. They have committed to re-investing this annual savings into patient care.
As OCSA outlined in our 2017 budget recommendations, base funding levels to home and community care providers have fallen behind the rate of inflation in recent years, and many of them are reaching a breaking point. It is time to shift our approach to funding the sector, with an eye towards expanding services and building the capacity of these agencies to meet ever-growing and changing need in a more sustainable way, now and into the future.
Re-investing the administrative savings from the amalgamation into the base budgets of home and community care providers would be a cost-efficient, highly-effective way to ensure that high-quality care will continue to be available to our clients and their families when they need it most.
- Deborah Simon, CEO
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MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD: 2017 Ontario Budget
It's not too late to reach out to your MPP and tell them about the immense value home and community care brings to Ontario's health care system! Log-in to OCSA's Members Only website to access our budget toolkit.
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Celebrating March for Meals 2017
Each year, Meals on Wheels programs across North America celebrate March for Meals, an opportunity to support your program’s success, and connect with the larger Meals on Wheels community. By working collaboratively, we can effectively strengthen our individual efforts to increase awareness and community engagement as we serve our clients.
The 2017 Community Champions Week will be celebrated between Monday, March 20 and Friday, March 24. During this time, we encourage programs to invite your local mayor, other elected officials, local celebrities and other prominent community figures to deliver meals and raise awareness of the power of Meals on Wheels. This special week within March for Meals provides a wonderful opportunity to engage powerful figures in your community, garner media attention and helps raise public awareness for the nutritional and social needs of your clients.
OCSA members who provide Meals on Wheels are invited to take part in the annual campaign, and can find resources that make it easy on our Members Only website.
We wish you and your Community Champions an excellent #MarchforMeals!
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From last year's campaign: Left, broadcaster Ron MacLean delivers meals with Oakville Kiwanis Meals on Wheels. Right, Mayors of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge team up with Community Support Connections Meals on Wheels and More.
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MEMBERS GET MORE!
Our preferred insurance provider, Johnson, is pleased to offer Ontario Community Support Association members exclusive access to MEDOC® Travel Insurance. Now you can travel with peace of mind knowing you’re protected by one of the best annual travel insurance plans available today.
Our members enjoy special rates for MEDOC® and your coverage is for an unlimited number of insured trips taken within a policy year, for about the same cost as purchasing travel insurance for two separate trips.
Click here to learn more.
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Spread the Word: Patient and Family Advisory Council
 The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has started a new and important initiative, the Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC), and is inviting any Ontarian to apply to be a member of the Council. Member experiences and perspectives about the health system will help ensure that the issues and priorities of patients, family members, and caregivers are clearly heard and understood by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The Council will advise on changes in how care is delivered, new initiatives the Ministry is planning to undertake, and how it can better engage with members of the public. Ontarians don’t need to be health care experts or frequent users of the health care system to participate; perspective as a frequent or occasional health system user or as a caregiver is what matters most.
The deadline to volunteer is April 10, 2017. Please spread the word!
More information: www.ontario.ca/patientengagement.
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Save The Date: 2017 OCSA Conference
As we know, ideas that seem straightforward on paper are often much more complicated on the ground. From system restructuring and new models of organizing and providing care, to more creative collaboration with partners both inside and outside of the health system, to the adoption and spread of new technologies, the 2017 OCSA conference will focus on preparing the home and community support sector for this shift from theory to action during health care transformation.
Celebrate OCSA’s 25th anniversary on October 18 and 19 in Markham! Registration opens tomorrow, and our call for abstracts will be released very soon.
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OCSA and JLT Canada are proud to present “De-mystifying the Buying Process” - the first Buyers' Guide designed to help OCSA members navigate the complex world of commercial insurance. Click here to learn more.
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Update: New LHIN Structures
LHINs have begun to release their new senior level organization structure for post LHIN-CCAC Integration. From what we have seen, the provincial pattern has a CEO reporting to a Board of Directors with 6 Vice Presidents. Each LHIN will likely tweak the number and description positions but the template includes the following core functions: home and community care, human resources and organizational development, clinical leadership, health system strategy, integration and planning, communications and engagement, performance and accountability, finance and corporate services. Some LHINs have already appointed some or all VPs, whereas others have started recruitment for VPs and sub-LHIN region directors.
OCSA is currently collecting more specific information regarding LHIN structures across the province, and members can expect an update shortly.
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Check out our new look!
We've refreshed our website - www.ocsa.on.ca - making it more streamlined and easier to use. We'll be adding new features and content in the months to come. Do you have a great story, photo or idea to share? E-mail it to website@ocsa.on.ca.
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SAVE THE DATE: 2017 PSW & PSW Supervisor Conference
October 17, 2017 in Markham
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Introducing: Health Shared Services Ontario
A new organization called Health Shared Services Ontario (HSSO) was created effective January 1, 2017 under Ontario Regulation 456/16 made under the Local Health System Integration Act, 2006 with the objective to help improve health system standardization and consistency by providing essential business, administration, technology and other back-office functions.
The new organization will bring together the LHIN Shared Services Office (LSSO), the LHIN Collaborative (LHINC), and the Ontario Association of Community Care Access Centres (OACCAC) under a new crown agency. HSSO will be governed and managed by a board of directors and senior management team.
The transfer will take place March 1, 2017.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
Quick links from around the sector.
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Health care transformation is underway, and OCSA wants to help you plan your organization's next move.
- What strategic activities should you focus on to position your organization for sucess in a Patients First environment?
- How will you articulate your strategic advantage and value proposition to the health system?
- How can you shift from a focus on your own organization to an emphasis on population health?
- How do your Board and governance policies need to evolve under this new framework?
Join us May 12 in Mississauga for an exclusive, highly interactive day focused on giving senior leaders and board members the practical tools and advice they need to take immediate action over the next 100 days, and in the longer-term.
Stay tuned for more details very soon.
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Upcoming Training from Capacity Builders:
Back by Member Request!
Stepping Up to Supervisor: A Preparatory Course for Front-Line Staff Moving Into a Lead or Supervisory Role
March 21 and 28, 2017 in Toronto
This two-day course provides front-line staff with the opportunity to learn essential skills to prepare them for a supervisory or team leader role.
Emphasis will be on identifying the benefits of “stepping up to supervisor” and on identifying positive approaches to the challenges that arise. This is a very interactive course; we'll use real-world examples and case scenarios from a not-for-profit human service perspective. A certificate will be awarded to those who successfully complete the course. Participants will learn what supervisors are really supposed to do - from a task and interpersonal perspective, how to make a successful transition from peer to supervisor, about the role of a mentor and support system in facilitating the transition, and how to develop a personal plan to hone new skills.
*Not close to Toronto? No worries! We’ll bring this course to you, anywhere in the province. Please contact info@capacitybuilders.ca for more information.
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Wage and Benefit Survey Closes
The OCSA Wage and Benefit Survey closed February 24. Thanks to the 156 CSS providers from across the province who submitted data on nearly 10,000 employee positions. The summary report from the survey should be available in mid-April at no cost to participating OCSA members. For more information, contact David Hughes (david.hughes@ocsa.on.ca).
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MEMBER LISTINGS
Events and programs hosted by OCSA members.
Are you an OCSA Member who would like to promote an event or program in our next issue? E-mail a link and one-sentence description to bulletin@ocsa.on.ca.
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JOB LISTINGS
OCSA is pleased to advertise job opportunities on behalf of our members. To be included in our next issue, please e-mail a link to the posting, job location, and application deadline to bulletin@ocsa.on.ca.
Please submit at least 4 weeks before applications close.
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