Minutes - July 29, 2020 - Special Meeting of the Board of Health

Members Present:

Ms. Maureen Cassidy (Chair)
Ms. Aina DeViet (Vice-Chair)
Mr. John Brennan
Ms. Kelly Elliott
Ms. Tino Kasi
Ms. Arielle Kayabaga
Mr. Bob Parker
Mr. Ian Peer
Mr. Matt Reid

Others Present:

Dr. Christopher Mackie, Medical Officer of Health/CEO (Secretary Treasurer)
Ms. Lynn Guy, Executive Assistant to the Medical Officer of Health/CEO and Associate Medical Officer of Health (Recorder)
Dr. Alexander Summers, Associate Medical Officer of Health
Ms. Nicole Gauthier, Director (Interim), Healthy Organization
Mr. Stephen Turner, Director, Environmental Health and Infectious Disease
Dr. Michael Clarke, CEO (Interim)
Mr. Dan Flaherty, Manager, Communications

Chair Cassidy called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m.

Disclosure of Conflict of Interest

Chair Cassidy inquired if there were any disclosures of conflicts of interest. None were declared.

Approval of Agenda

There were no public agenda items to approve.

Other Business

Next meeting – September 17, 2020

Confidential

At 5:35 p.m., it was moved by Ms. DeViet, seconded by Ms. Kayabaga, that the Board of Health move in-camera to consider matters regarding labour relations, identifiable individuals and advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose, and to consider a position, plan, procedure, criteria or instruction to be applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the municipality or local board.

At 6:48 it was moved by Mr. Peer, seconded by Mr. Brennan, that the Board of Health return to public session.
Carried

The Board asked Dr. Mackie to provide a public update on the Case and Contact Management Tool (CCM).

Dr. Mackie noted that the Health Unit has developed a CCM Tool that has been adapted by 10 other Health Units. He also advised that Toronto Public Health and Ottawa Public Health have developed one of their own. The reason for this update is to advise the Board that the Province is developing a system that would cost in the range of $20,000,000 to develop and implement. The Health Unit’s tool cost approximately $95,000. All systems have the capability to upload data directly to the provincial database.

The firm that the Province has hired is a US company called Salesforce.
In comparing what MLHU has developed, and what the Province is proposing does not have all of the functionality, including reporting for data analysis. It is also not clear that the program will take all of the data that MLHU has already collected.

Dr. Mackie noted that he believes three Health Units have signed up to use the Salesforce database. It is not known if this database is already being used in the United States to collect health data.

In response to a question, Dr. Mackie noted that the Ministry is aware of the systems that London, Toronto and Ottawa have developed and are using.

Discussion ensured in regard to the following;
There is a risk that the data will not flow to the provincial database from the Salesforce tool.
The $20,000,000 price tag.
The data sharing agreement has many issues, including downloading risk from the Province to health units and through them to municipalities.
The product will need further development as it is uploaded throughout the province.
The new system will impact staff user time for training and redeployment. Some felt that this is not the time to introduce another new system when there are residents that need service.
Many Board members expressed concern over going with a US company when a Canadian solution has been developed in London Ontario.

Board members requested that speaking notes be sent in advance of Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) to Board members to use when speaking with elected officials. It was noted that Ms. DeViet represents Middlesex County at AMO and will seek delegation with MPPs at the August 16th meeting. It was noted that copying all Health Units on correspondence would be beneficial.

It was moved by Ms. Elliott, seconded by Ms. DeViet, that the Board of Health:
1) Receive the verbal update for information; and
2) Direct the Chair of the Board of Health to write a letter to the Premier of Ontario, Minister of Health, local MPPs and copy all Ontario Health Units
Carried

Adjournment

At 7:19 p.m., it was moved by Mr. Peer, seconded by Ms. Parker, that the meeting be adjourned. Carried

MAUREEN CASSIDY
Chair

CHRISTOPHER MACKIE
Secretary-Treasurer