Archive for category: Updates

The Niagara Ontario Health Team – Équipe Santé Ontario Niagara (NOHT-ÉSON) is embarking on an exciting initiative to create a comprehensive System Planning Report. This project will analyze population health trends, service utilization, and resource capacity in the Niagara region to guide health system planning over the next five to 10 years.

The report will focus on key areas like demographic changes, health inequities, service gaps, and emerging health issues. It will also explore workforce, infrastructure, and financial resource capacity, ensuring a robust understanding of the region’s needs.

This report represents a collaborative effort by the NOHT-ÉSON’s diverse members, which include health and social care providers, Indigenous and Francophone organizations, and patient/client/family/caregiver representatives, all working together to build a more inclusive, efficient system.

Proposals for this project are being accepted until February 24, 2025, with the final report set to be completed by September 2025. This initiative underscores the NOHT-ÉSON’s commitment to improving access to care, advancing institutional knowledge, and addressing the evolving needs of Niagara residents.

For more information,  download the RFP document here.

Call to Action

If your organization specializes in data analysis and health system planning, we encourage you to submit a proposal and contribute to shaping the future of Niagara’s health care system!

Are you passionate about community engagement and improving health system design? The NOHT-ÉSON is welcoming proposals for a comprehensive engagement project to inform health system planning and design for equity-deserving populations, including individuals living with dementia and their caregivers.

Key Details:

• Maximum Budget: $25,000 + HST
• Proposal Submission Deadline: Monday, January 6, 2025
• Submission: Proposals must be emailed to pm@noht-eson.ca

Scope of Work:

The successful applicant will design and facilitate focus groups, interviews, and surveys to gather insights, followed by in-depth data analysis and reporting. This project aligns with the NOHT-ÉSON’s Strategic Plan and supports the efforts of the Dementia Care Working Group and Health Equity Working Group.

Key Deliverables Include:

• Focus groups with individuals living with dementia, caregivers, and equity-deserving populations.
• Detailed data analysis to uncover trends and actionable insights.
• Comprehensive reports with visual representations and an executive summary.
• Presentations of findings to key NOHT-ÉSON groups.

Timeline Overview:

• January 2025: Engagement planning
• February-March 2025: Focus group facilitation
• March-April 2025: Data analysis
• April 2025: Report writing
• May 2025: Presentation of findings

This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of health care in Niagara.

For more details, access the full Request for Proposals document here: RFP Document

Let’s work together to build a more inclusive, accessible, and responsive health care system for our community!

St. Catharines, ON – Niagara residents with a chronic illness and their care partners can access a specially trained registered nurse to assist them in managing their symptoms and day-to-day well-being in the comfort of their homes.

The Virtual Care Monitoring (VCM) program, a Hospice Niagara-led initiative of the NOHT-ÉSON, enables patients to report their symptoms through a weekly health questionnaire. A registered nurse then reviews the questionnaire and contacts the person for more details if necessary. The nurse can also reach out to the patient’s doctor, family or connect them to community services that can best support the person’s needs.

“Whether it is cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or another progressive, life-limiting illness, we know that a palliative approach to care early in a person’s illness or when transitioning home from hospital can improve health outcomes and quality of life for themselves and their loved ones,” said Sue Shipley, Senior Director of Clinical Services at Hospice Niagara.

“The Virtual Care Monitoring program also means that the patient has a dedicated registered nurse on their team who can respond to the person’s symptoms before a crisis occurs. Depending on the issue, the nurse can support the person with a phone call and the most appropriate health care resource, including their doctor or primary care team.”

Some of the program’s benefits include the patient’s increased engagement in their own health care journey, greater access to health care resources, and potential avoidance of emergency department visits.

Through the program, a tablet is provided to the person to use in their home, or they can use their own mobile device. There is also support to set up and use the virtual care monitoring technology. The program is offered at no cost.

“The registered nurse’s knowledge and medical expertise to assist and guide me through the navigation of the health care system has proven invaluable,” said Andrea Atack, whose father, James, frequently visited the hospital for symptoms associated with congestive heart failure before he enrolled in the program.

“The nurse monitors my dad’s situation closely and keeps in touch with my father and me, and our family doctor is contacted if medication needs to be adjusted or a call or visit is needed. To my dad and I, this is one of the program’s greatest benefits.”

Primary care teams and physicians can refer their patients to the VCM program, or the person can self-refer by visiting www.hospiceniagara.ca/virtual-care-monitoring or calling 289-969-7307.