Toronto – On March 21st, the first Forum bringing together the French Language Health Services Networks and the French Language Health Services Planning Entities of Ontario was held in Toronto. The forum was a resounding success! Members of each Board and their Executive Directors, who met formally for the first time, shared their perspectives and explored opportunities for collaboration to improve French language health services in Ontario. They appreciated hearing from guest speaker François Boileau, Ontario’s French Language Services Commissioner. A workshop on non-profit organization governance, offered by lawyer Sébastien Huard of Emond Harnden, opened the day. During the afternoon session, led by Benoît Hubert of PGF Consultants, four major areas were identified in which the Networks and the Entities want to establish effective collaborations to increase access to French language health services in Ontario.
Based on the comments and evaluations collected, the participants said a great deal was gained from the discussions. In fact, all Boards gave their Executive Directors a mandate to specify the complementary roles of the two bodies in Ontario and to create synergies that will lead to complementary or joint actions.
A first meeting of the Networks and Entities Executive Directors will take place on May 2nd. A second Forum of the Alliance of Networks and Entities Group is already planned for 2014. For more information, please contact Diane Lavallée, coordinator at the Alliance of Networks and Entities Group: email diane.j.lavallee@gmail.com.
The Alliance of Networks brings together the four French Language Health Services Networks of Ontario, supported and funded by the ‘Société Santé en français’, (www.santefrancais.ca) a national movement funded by Health Canada which, in close collaboration with the Networks in all provinces and territories, aims to improve the health of francophones living in minority settings in Canada.
The six French Language Health Services Planning Entities, created in 2010 by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care provide recommendations to the LHINs (Local Health Integration Networks) regarding the planning and delivery of French language health services to improve access to quality health care for francophones in Ontario. Since 2011, the Entities Group’s Executive Directors have been working together on common provincial issues.
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Contact Diane Lavallée,
coordinator at the Alliance of Networks and Entities Group
Email diane.j.lavallee@gmail.com.