Algoma Public Health to study merger with Sudbury health unit

A majority of Algoma Public Health board members voted Wednesday to seek provincial funding to study the feasibility of a voluntary merger with Public Health Sudbury & Districts.

However, the motion to proceed with the feasibility study wasn’t approved before much discussion and did not pass unanimously.

“At this point in time the decision is certainly voluntary,” said Dr. Jennifer Loo, APH medical officer of health and CEO, addressing the board.

However, Loo said “there is a risk, certainly, of future provincial directions to engage in non-voluntary restructuring.”

The Ontario government announced in August that funding will be offered to public health units that want to merge.

The province says that fewer and larger Local Public Health Agencies (LPHAs) will lead to improved public health services.

The Public Health Sudbury & Districts board voted Nov. 16 to approach APH to look into the feasibility of a merger.

“This particular voluntary merger process is not a cost saving exercise. That was not the policy intent to decrease the front line staff complement or the number of physical health units through the merger process. They (the province) may want fewer health units but not necessarily fewer buildings or people,” Loo said.    

“There is no intent to reduce frontline staff and services, or to close offices,” Loo wrote in an email to SooToday Thursday.

“I want everyone to understand that we are equal partners (with Sudbury). It’s not one leading the chase, it’s working together,” said Sally Hagman, APH board of health chair at Wednesday’s meeting.

But not all APH board members are comfortable with such a proposed merger. 

“I struggle to see how I would support the end objective. I’m struggling to support this,” said Sault Mayor Matthew Shoemaker, an APH board member.

Shoemaker wondered if the Sault and Algoma District would be adequately represented at the board level of a merged public health agency.

“I also question the commitment to not reduce staff,” Shoemaker said.

The Ford government wanted to move ahead with merging Ontario’s 35 public health units down to 10 — with only two units for northern Ontario — through amalgamation in 2019.

At that time, APH announced it would be grouped with health units in Nipissing (part of Renfrew), Muskoka (part of the Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit), North Bay, Parry Sound, Sudbury, Timiskaming and Porcupine into a northeastern Ontario mega-unit as a cost saving measure.

All provincial merger plans were put on hold when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

“It seems that if their objective in 2019 was to save $200 million that’s probably still their objective. It’s just not being said,” Shoemaker said of the latest merger attempt.

The feasibility study between APH and Public Health Sudbury & Districts has to be completed and submitted to the Ontario government by March 2024, the merger to take effect in 2025 with startup funding from the province.

“The timeline is definitely not doable, let’s be honest, unless all we’re getting is what the government wants, which is basically someone to come in and say ‘you cut this, this and this, you amalgamate these and you’re going to save this much money and that’s it,’” said APH board member Jody Wildman. 

“You look at the objectives and it’s a bunch of gobbledygook that you’re going to get from a consultant.”

“Everybody knows the objective from their point of view is to save money by cutting people and offices and services. What we should do is turn that on its head and say we’re going to hire someone to do this, then let’s darn well make sure that they’re looking at how do we make services better,” Wildman said.

The majority of board members feel it’s better to do a voluntary study before the province makes it mandatory.

“We need to get on the train,” said APH board chair Sally Hagman.

“We can stop the train but we need to get on the train to see what is happening because we don’t want to have control of which direction that train is going in. We know that Sudbury District is moving forward with the feasibility study. I don’t want someone to do something to us. I want to be a part of what’s going to happen to our future. I think by being on board with this motion and pursuing it, it’s going to bring out a whole bunch of different things that the Ministry may not have even considered but it won’t happen unless we open that door,” Hagman said.

Wildman voted in favour of the motion to proceed with the voluntary feasibility report when the board agreed with his request to amend the wording of the motion to include the “potential benefits and drawbacks” of a voluntary merger.

Shoemaker remained opposed.

The final resolution follows:

“THAT the Board of Health for the District of Algoma Health Unit, having reviewed the Ministry of Health Outcomes and Objectives to Support Voluntary Mergers, October 30, 2023, and considered related discussions, direct the Medical Officer of Health to engage with Public Health Sudbury & Districts to seek provincial funding to undertake a feasibility study on the  potential benefits and drawbacks of a voluntary merger of our two local public health agencies for the delivery of public health objectives; and 

THAT additional Board of Health direction be sought should further consultation result in a recommendation to explore voluntary mergers with other regional local public health agencies; and

THAT the Medical Officer of Health continues to report back to the Board on this matter and that the recommendations be brought back to the board for discussion and direction.”

Voting in favour of the voluntary feasibility report were board members Sally Hagman, Luc Morrissette, Deborah Graystone, Julila Hemphill, Loretta O'Neill, Don McConnell, Suzanne Trivers and Jody Wildman.

Board members Matthew Shoemaker and Sonia Tassone were opposed.