envikronmental scan

The COVID-19 pandemic, combined with rising incidents of social injustice, have brought into sharper focus health inequities in BIPOC “black, indigenous, and other people of colour” and other vulnerable communities. In order for systems and structures to respond to these health inequities, we must have a better understanding of how the Windsor-Essex OHT partners are addressing health equity issues not only in terms of models of care and accessibility but as employers and good community stewards.

Within Windsor-Essex, Health, Social and Community Services have identified that certain populations have been experiencing disparities in access, care, and support to their needs as patients and providers. The Windsor Essex Ontario Health Team has a dedicated Equity, Inclusion, Diversity and Anti-Racism (EIDA-R) working group that was formed to focus on and support EIDA-R work within the WEOHT partners. As part this working group’s charter, the WEOHT Steering Committee, along with the EIDA-R working group are thrilled to announce the launch of a EIDA-R Environmental Scan. This environmental scan is the first step in beginning the work of assessing disparities across the WEOHT.

It is important to note that this EIDA-R Environmental scan supports three Ontario Health Objectives. They are as follows:

• Advance Health Equity: working with Ontario’s Health Equity, Inclusion, Diversity and Anti-Racism Framework (with a focus on addressing anti-Indigenous and Anti-Black Racism) to reduce health inequity and improve outcomes for patients, families and providers.
• Enhance Patient Experiences: A focus on building positive and collaborative relationships with patients and caregivers, healthcare professionals, and system partners (e.g. diverse communities such as Indigenous, Francophone, and Black communities).
• Improve Provider Experience: Collect, report and use Equity data to report and evaluate to drive improvement, address racism, build trust, and reduce disparities while contributing to populations’ health

While the environmental scan is just the first objective, this scan will provide the broader WEOHT membership a baseline on where each organization is at in their EIDA-R journey. We recognize each organization is at a different stage of development as it relates to EIDA-R and this survey will simply capture the variety of stages amongst our WEOHT. This project will not advise on EIDA-R practices, policies or procedures.

The survey link has been delivered to WEOHT Partnership Council representatives. Following the survey and one on one meetings, a report will be produced and shared with the WEOHT Steering Committee, WEOHT EIDA-R Working Group and the WEOHT Patient, Family & Caregiver- Partnership Council, with the key findings being posted to the WEOHT website.