Structure

The Windsor-Essex Ontario Health Team is made up of various committees, sectors, working groups and project teams, each working collaboratively to deliver on six key priorities:

1. Integrated Care through PHM and Equity Approaches:
Improving health outcomes of the OHT’s population using equity-based and Population Health Management (PHM) approaches.

2. System Navigation:
Improving patient access & experience by redesigning processes to make it sinpler for people to find and access the health and social services they need.

3. Readiness for Integrated Home Care Delivery:
Building knowledge and awareness of integrated home care models operated by member organizations, leading to the eventual delivery of home care via OHTs.

4. Collaborative Leadership, Decision-Making and Governance:
Establishing effective OHT collaborative decision-making arrangements to advancing integrated care, accountability structures, integrated performance management & quality improvement measures.

5. Primary Care Engagement & Leadership:
The involvement of physicians, primary care providers and other clinicians in the OHTs, remains foundational to OHT success and should be a driver of OHT activities and structure.

6. Data and Digital:
Advancing the adoption of certain provincial digital health priorities (ex. Online Appointment Booking- OAB) and mobilize digital health tools to improve patient care, enhance health system coordination, strengthen health privacy and reduce administrative burden faced by health providers.

OHTs are expected to ensure equity considerations remain embedded across all priority areas.

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee includes representation from the chairs of each sector table, plus additional persons agreed upon by the committee. Decision-making power rests with this group. They manage detailed planning and implementation activities necessary to oversee the work of the WEOHT. They are responsible for community engagement, identifying health care priorities, creating an appropriate set of working groups to establish and execute the overall work plan, and for establishing and overseeing a secretariat to support our work in improving healthcare in Windsor-Essex.

Partnership Council

The Partnership Council includes representation from all member organizations and the Patient, Family, and Caregiver Council, as well as other relevant stakeholders. The council is a key body for engaging and building consensus for direction of WEOHT strategy as well as sourcing of support for implementation through participation in working groups.

Advisory Groups

The two WEOHT Advisory Groups provide expertise and insight regarding WEOHT projects and workings.

Patient, Family, and Caregiver- Partnership Council

The Patient, Family, and Caregiver- Partnership Council (PFAC-PC) helps guide WEOHT decision-making by leveraging members’ lived experience and ensuring the inclusion of all voices that use our healthcare system. PFAC-PC co-chairs sit on the WEOHT Steering Committee and members are invited to sit on the various working groups/project teams for co-design.
Primary Care Council
System Navigation Advisory Group
The System Navigation Advisory Group has been established to provide support, leadership, and expertise to the WEOHT in the area of System Navigation.
System Navigation encompasses the following elements:

providing information, service options and education

removing barriers to access care and services

identifying critical resources for system Users

involving individuals, caregivers and families in decision making

bridging uncoordinated domains of healthcare and social services through transition planning

facilitating communication between professionals, including filling out referral forms

Sectors & Working Groups

The WEOHT is composed of specific sectors that work together to advance and improve the health care of people in Windsor-Essex through advice and consultation. The chair(s) of each sector will also serve as the sector representatives on the Steering Committee.

Acute Care and Emergency Medical Services
Community Service Organizations

Community Support Organizations provide support to individuals that compliments primary care, often focusing on prevention, education, overall social determinants of health and other direct services. The Windsor-Essex Health Unit is included in CSO, to implement community-wide health initiatives and promoting healthy lifestyles through education and outreach.
Home and Community Support Services

Home and Community Care Support Services sector provides a broad range of services aimed at supporting indiviuals in their own homes and communities. This sector focuses on helping people maintain their independence, manage chronic conditions, recover from illness or injury, and improve their overall quality of life. Key services in this sector include, but not limited to, home health care, personal care services, respite care, adult day care, hospice & palliative care and transportation services. These services are typically tailored to meet the specific needs of individuals, allowing them to remain in their familiar home environment, with the goal to enhance independence, prevent hospital admissions, and support overall health & well-being.
Mental Health and Addictions
The Mental Health and Addictions Sector Table (MHAST) works collaboratively to ensure that key sector related decisions align with mental health and addictions evidence-informed best practice, expected patient/client outcomes and with the developing mandate of the Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence. MHAST also provides strategic advice to Ontario Health West Region to advance system planning, performance oversight and informed decision making pertinent to mental health and addictions in Windsor-Essex. MHAST includes system level experts who are skilled at analyzing operational and performance indicators to proactively identify system gaps requiring additional financial investments.

Mental Health and Addictions Sector Table – Working Groups

Coordinated Access Working Group

Members are volunteers from MHAST are dedicated to focusing on Coordinated Access for our Mental Health and Addiction sector. Coordinated access means that no matter where a person enter the system they will be fully informed of their options for services.

The group is focused on preparing our region for a local coordinated access system for mental health and addictions including:

Mapping current state of our local mental health and addiction system

Enhancing the delivery of mental health and addiction services in Windsor-Essex by considering the input of the primary care sector (and other sectors)

Intake & Assessment Working Group

Goal is to have one intake worker from each core agency providing Mental Health and Addictions services participating. The group also includes members in leadership positions from the agencies involved.

This group is focused on three areas of work:

Current state mapping of assessment tools and identifying opportunities for common tools

Development of a local tool to help Navigators assist clients in understanding their options for Mental Health and Addictions services

Building pathways between agencies to allow for warm hand offs

This group meets monthly

Ocean eReferral Working Group

Members are drawn from organizations within the Mental Health and Addictions sector including both clinicians and leadership staff.

The goal of the group is to expand the use of Ocean eReferral among the partners providing Mental Health and Addictions services through a coordinated approach with support from Ontario Health.

This group meets bi-weekly
Primary Care

The Primary Care Sector Table creates a platform where all team-based primary care OHT signatories can meet as equal partners to provide sector feedback to the Steering Committee to support the advancement of the WEOHT. The WEOHT is developing a WEOHT Primary Care Network (PCN), composed of both Clinicians (Physicians, Nurse Practitioners etc.) and Clinical Leaders (ex. Executive Directors) to create a more collaborative structure.
Long-Term Care Facilities

The Long-Term Care Facilities sector encompasses a variety of living arrangement and care including long-term care and assisted living. These facilities are designed to provide a safe and supportive enviornment, to meet the needs of their residents, with the support of a variety of healthcare professionals including nurses, social workers, personal support workers etc.

Other Intiatives

ConnectMyHealth

The WEOHT is responsible for promoting ConnectMyHealth across our region. ConnectMyHealth is a digital health solution that provides you with an online, single access channel to view your health records from participating hospitals in Southwestern Ontario. Visit the ConnectMyHealth website for more information.
Digital Health Group

This working group is designed to provide leadership and strategic advice regarding the development and implementation of the digital health initiatives. The Digital Health Group will play a role in advancing solutions for priorities such as Patients Before Paperwork and Online Appointment Booking adoption.
Equity, Inclusion, Diversity & Anti- Racism (EIDA-R) Working Group
Lower Limb Preservation Strategy
Local coalition partnered to implement a Lower Limb Preservation strategy for Windsor Essex including Windsor Regional Hospital, City of Windsor, Windsor Family Health Team, Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre, and Windsor-Essex Community Health Centre
Integrated continuum of care for individuals with lower leg wounds, vascular disease, and/or at risk for a lower limb amputation
Prioritizing homeless and marginalized individuals who disproportionately experience lower limb amputations due to chronic conditions, addictions and social/economic barriers
Enhanced communication and collaboration among healthcare providers to optimize patient outcomes
Development of a comprehensive education strategy aimed at raising awareness about lower limb preservation and preventive foot care to community and healthcare personnel
Mobile Medical Support
Windsor-Essex Gets You Home

WEGHO is a new program to facilitate safe and sustainable discharge from hospital to home. Lead agency Assisted Living Southwestern Ontario, works with community partners to assist with meals, transportation, wellness checks and patient mobility. For more information visit ALSO.

Internal Team

The internal team ensures that the WEOHT pushes forward and is responsible for all backbone supports (e.g. document sharing, meetings, improvement projects, etc.). There are five internal team members:

Executive Transformation Lead
Administrative & Communications Lead
Health System Integrated Lead
Project Manager, Decision Support Lead
Mental Health & Addictions Lead
Indigenous Engagement Lead

Return to About WEOHT