Public Health favours merger with two other boards

Today, the Hastings Prince Edward Board of Health voted in support of the intent to merge with Kingston, Frontenac, and Lennox & Addington Public Health (KFL&APH) and Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health (LGLDH) to create the South East Health Unit.

In August 2023, the Ministry of Health announced plans to strengthen the public health sector by offering one-time funding, resources and supports to local public health agencies that voluntarily merged by Jan. 1, 2025.

In response to the announcement, the HPE, KFL&A, and LGL boards of health decided in December to explore impacts of a voluntary merger and engaged the consulting firm of Sense and Nous to prepare a feasibility study and a business case.

In the board’s public session today, Dr. Toumishey, Medical Officer of Health, presented the consultant findings which identified opportunities and challenges and concluded there are no significant barriers to a merger.

The KFL&APH and LGLDHU boards of health are meeting on the afternoons of March 27 and March 28 respectively, to review the same presentations and vote to determine if they will move forward with the merger process.

If all three boards approve moving forward, they will submit a proposal to the Ministry of Health by the April 2 deadline.

“Mergers of public health units require provincial legislative change, and a merger will only occur if the province approves the boards’ proposal and commits adequate funding for its success,” HPEPH stated. “Until any possible merger is approved by the Ministry, the health units will continue to operate independently.”