North York Toronto Health Partners (NYTHP) releases first strategic plan

North York Toronto Health Partners (NYTHP) releases first strategic plan to strengthen local health care for all

May 12, 2022

Toronto – North York Toronto Health Partners (NYTHP) released its first Strategic Plan today, charting an exciting course forward to create an accessible, equitable and sustainable health system for all in North York for years to come.

One of the province’s first Ontario Health Teams (OHTs), NYTHP is made up of 21 Core Partners and 40 Alliance Partners representing a full spectrum of health services, a Patient and Caregiver Health Council and a Primary Care Advisory Council. Similar to other OHTs, the NYTHP brings together organizations, staff, health professionals, community members, patients and caregivers to work as one integrated team supporting comprehensive care for people living in, or receiving services in, its geographic area. NYTHP serves a population of nearly 500,000, covering 13 neighbourhoods in central and east North York.

NYTHP’s Shared Purpose, Compassionate North York, describes the partners’ mutual commitment to promote the health and wellbeing of all people they serve. Over the next few years, NYTHP is focusing on helping the health system to adapt after the pandemic, responding to urgent community needs, and improving health care experiences and outcomes. The plan also emphasizes meaningful engagement of people to ensure the health system is designed according to their needs and priorities, as well as making health care more equitable for diverse and underserved communities.

Accountable to its community and funded by the Ministry of Health/Ontario Health, NYTHP will measure and share its progress publicly, including the impact on patients’ access to care in the most appropriate setting (e.g., the ability to receive home care and avoid hospitalization), access to mental health and addiction services and preventative services such as cancer screening.

Quotes

“The development of our first Strategic Plan is a significant achievement for North York Toronto Health Partners and will provide the framework we need to provide excellent, equitable programs and services for individuals and families accessing care through our Ontario Health Team,” said Penny Marrett, Executive Director, Addiction Services Central Ontario. “We are all committed to our collaboration with primary care, patients, clients, families and caregivers as we work collectively to ignite the power within each of us to support meaningful change for our community today and into the future.” 

“From the beginning, we believed in the importance of collaborating to better serve North York.  NYTHP developed a vision and strong partnerships, inspired by a shared desire to improve the health and wellbeing of all people in our diverse communities,” said Karyn Popovich, President and CEO, North York General Hospital. “Across North York, organizations and community members have joined forces to respond to the pandemic including delivering nearly 275,000 vaccinations and using digital technology to connect people with care. Despite our challenges, we introduced new integrated services for seniors, mental health and addictions, palliative care and other needs.”

“The NYTHP’s work strives to find the gaps in care in our community and utilize the strong connections we have made to create initiatives to fill those gaps,” said Dr. Rebecca Stoller and Dr. Maria Muraca, co-chairs, Primary Care Advisory Council, NYTHP. “Working collaboratively with our community partners and agencies has enabled providers from different realms of health care to combine their efforts and areas of expertise to meet our clients where they are in their health journey, in a person-centered, equitable and compassionate manner.”

“North York Community Access to Resources Enabling Support (NYCARES) is an innovative model of care created by the NYTHP to help seniors with complex needs live well at home,” said Adora Chui, OHT Impact Fellow. “As the embedded researcher within the team, I get an up-close look at how NYCARES is working for patients, caregivers, and staff. With a thorough understanding of how NYCARES is making an impact, our team is using the data to improve care for the most vulnerable people in our community.”

NYTHP was approved as an OHT in December 2019.  It is a compassionate community of providers, patients, caregivers, and residents who are committed to promoting health, wellbeing, and positive experiences for all. The Core Partners who founded and now guide the NYTHP’s work are listed on the NYTHP website – Our Partners | NYTHP (northyorktorontohealthpartners.ca).  These Core Partners work in collaboration with the NYTHP Patient and Caregiver Health Council, Primary Care Advisory Council and the 200+ members of the Primary Care Association of North York, and some 40 Alliance Partners representing health and social care organizations and are supported by a professional Backbone team with members from across partner organizations.

For more information contact:

Anne-Marie Flanagan
NYGH Corporate Communications and Public Affairs
Anne-marie.flanagan@nygh.on.ca