Southwestern Public Health invites community input to help shape its new strategic plan

Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The health representing Oxford County, Elgin County, and the City of St. Thomas wants to hear from the public as it embarks on its new strategic plan.

Southwestern Public Health has launched a community feedback campaign to help shape its five-year strategic plan. Throughout November, the health unit will host staff town halls and interviews with community service providers to gather perspectives from health and social service partners. The public is encouraged to participate through an online survey.

“It is important for us to hear from a range of people across the region to better understand how we are meeting the community’s needs, and where we can dig deeper into what matters most over the next five years,” says Cynthia St. John, Chief Executive Officer at the organization.

The Ontario Public Health Standards require health units to review and update their strategic plans every three to five years.

“This regular review ensures that we continue to address the evolving health needs of our communities while aligning with provincial public health mandates,” she added.

“The past five years have been remarkable for our health unit, and for public health in general,” explained St. John. “The COVID-19 pandemic underscored just how vital it is to have collaborative input related to population health, and that sentiment rings true in all aspects of our work. Listening ensures we can continue our momentum in addressing the health inequities and challenges that impact our communities for a healthier, more vibrant region.”

While health units are mandated by the province to offer certain programs, St. John explained public health is one pillar in the larger health care system and while hospitals, primary care, and emergency services provide healthcare to individuals, public health focuses on health at the population level.

“We have three core functions - health protection, health promotion, and illness prevention. Input from the public can shape how we will prioritize our work and allocate funding within these functions.”

She added residents can help shape how we approach areas like mental health and wellness, chronic disease prevention, environmental health, and family health.

“While we are mandated to deliver certain programs, community input is invaluable for tailoring our approach to better meet local needs.”

While there are several in-person sessions scheduled for staff to participate this month, there are no in-person events for the public.

Southwestern Public Health is the result of a merger of two former units in 2018 and the current document was approved in 2019. As a result, St. John expects this strategic plan to be different from the previous version.

“The merger brought an opportunity to expand our vision and reflect the unique characteristics of a larger, more diverse population and we created a strategic plan within a year of merging. We anticipate that our new strategic plan will incorporate even more insights from this broader geographic and demographic perspective in addition to considering potential changes in our community needs, particularly in light of a global pandemic.”

She added she and her team are eager to hear what matters most to residents when it comes to their health and wellness which includes feedback on current programs and services, and ideas for addressing new or emerging health concerns.

“We value insights on how to make our services more accessible and effective, so we’re particularly interested in hearing about any barriers to health and suggestions for new initiatives.”

A draft plan is expected to be completed early in 2025. The health unit’s sessions for staff and board members to gather internal feedback are expected to play a critical role in implementing the plan.

“These internal sessions will take place alongside community partner consultations and broader community consultations via a survey, allowing us to create a plan that incorporates both professional insights and resident and/or client perspectives.”

The online survey can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SWPH_stpl2024_Public. The final opportunity to provide feedback is Nov. 29. Those who cannot access the survey online can complete a printed version at the St. Thomas or Woodstock public health unit locations.