Local Health Integrated Networks (LHINs)

Ontario is the last of Canada’s provinces to introduce a regionalization system for health care services management. The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care is downsizing, and will download the majority of its budget and service management responsibilities to these local boards. The goal is better integration and coordination of health services which can be tailored to a given LHIN’s particular needs and demographics. In theory, LHIN boards have been asked to incorporate health planning that is preventative and takes into account the broader determinants of health in their regions.

Fourteen LHINs have been defined for Ontario. Each will have a chairperson, a board of directors, and a small number of employees. The LHIN board will plan, coordinate and fund all health services in its region, but not provide services directly. Each LHIN will establish a health professionals’ advisory committee; for the moment there is no special dispensation for physicians. The Ontario Medical Association is advocating for priority to be placed on physician input.

LHINs are expected to have responsibility for:

• Public and private hospitals (including divested Provincial Psychiatric Hospitals)
• Community Care Access Centres
• Community Support Service Organizations
• Mental Health and Addiction Agencies
• Community Health Centres
• Long-Term Care Facilities

Physician services will not be funded through the LHIN (they will remain with OHIP). However, hospital programs will be under LHIN jurisdiction. Community Care Access Centres are restructuring along LHIN boundaries, reducing from 42 centres to 14. There is some concern among community agencies that they will have difficulty competing for LHIN funds with established acute-care hospital programming. Patients will not be limited by LHIN boundaries in accessing care.

Visit the LHINs web site for more information.