May 2019 – Strategic Priorities: Narrative Report

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Introduction

The Public Health Sudbury & Districts 2018-2022 Strategic Plan includes four Strategic Priorities that represent key areas of focus. The Strategic Priorities build on past successes and direct future actions to create optimal conditions for health for all. The Strategic Priorities: Narrative Report highlights stories from Public Health Sudbury & Districts programs and services to paint a picture of our priorities in action. These Narrative Reports are provided to the Board of Health two times per year – in the spring and fall – as a component of the 2018-2022 Accountability Monitoring Plan.

It is important to note that narratives do not necessarily reflect a specific reporting timeline. Rather, they represent an ongoing monitoring component of our 2018–2022 Strategic Plan.

Strategic Priorities

Equitable Opportunities

We strive for health equity by championing equal opportunities for health.

Meaningful Relationships

We establish meaningful relationships that lead to successful partnerships, collaborations, and engagement.

Practice Excellence

We strive for ongoing excellence in public health practice including, program and service development and delivery.

Organizational Commitment

We advance organization-wide commitment and ensure that we are well positioned to support the work of public health.

Priority 1: Equitable Opportunities

Greater Sudbury Poverty Challenge

In December 2018, Public Health Sudbury & Districts hosted a one-day poverty simulation event in partnership with the Partners to End Poverty Steering Committee. Local leaders from various sectors attended the event designed to raise awareness about the realities of living in poverty and to inspire commitment to poverty reduction. Each participant was given the profile of a person and asked to “live” their given profile, which included navigating a range of common community agency encounters. Local agency representatives were present to interact with participants, adding greater depth to the event. Each profile was developed based on the lived experiences of Sudburians connected with the Circles Sudbury initiative. Circles Sudbury aims to reduce poverty by building relationships across all economic groups, and to strengthen multi-sectoral collaboration to ensure everyone has the opportunity to achieve their full health potential regardless of their socially determined circumstances. Evaluation findings included improved awareness among participants and the value of incorporating the lives of real people with lived experiences of poverty.

Priority 2: Meaningful Relationships

Working with community partners to create a local opioids emergency response plan

In the Spring of 2018, more than 40 community agencies from across the Sudbury and Manitoulin districts came together to test and practice emergency preparedness related to opioid overdoses. Hosted by Public Health Sudbury & Districts and Public Health Ontario, the workshop included representatives from municipalities, first responders, public health, enforcement, community-based organizations, health care, schools, academia, and First Nations communities.

Those in attendance learned about opioids, tested emergency response plans, clarified roles and responsibilities, identified strengths and areas for improvement within existing emergency response plans, and fostered relationships across sectors. The findings of this collaboration led to the development of a local interagency emergency response plan for opioid poisonings. The response plan was developed with partners from the Community Drug Strategy Committee, with feedback from the Greater Sudbury Emergency Management Advisory Panel, and includes communication processes, and agency roles and responsibilities. The response plan will support an effective and timely multi-agency response to, and community recovery from, a mass casualty event related to opioids. The response plan will be endorsed by the Community Drug Strategy Executive Committee, and subsequently shared with community partners..

Priority 3: Practice Excellence

Addressing local data gaps in sleep health

In 2018, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s Ontario Public Health Standards for Public Health Programs and Services identified sleep as a new topic of public health importance. At the population and individual levels, poor sleep can negatively impact mental health, healthy growth and development as well as chronic disease management and the prevention of injuries. Public Health Sudbury & Districts conducted a community sleep survey to gather baseline data, to inform further programming and raise awareness about sleep health, and to learn more about the sleep duration, quality, and hygiene among our local populations. A total of 1 323 adults participated in the community sleep survey and provided insight about their sleep and that of one of their children aged 0 to 12 years. Results of the survey will enhance current evidence to inform the development of relevant policies and programs that will address the sleep-related needs of our communities.

Priority 4: Organizational Commitment

The Continuous Quality Improvement Framework

Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) is an overarching philosophy used by Public Health Sudbury & Districts to drive process improvement, increase public health value and performance, and develop ongoing organizational self-improvement.

In collaboration with staff from across the agency, a CQI Framework was recently developed and adopted. Staff have been actively involved in discussions on how best to utilize the framework as they implement quality improvement methods.

The framework will foster a culture of quality improvement that ensures high-quality public health practice, encourages transparency and accountability, and increases satisfaction with our services. It will also help direct the organization as we strive to be leaders in quality improvement practice through developing skills and capacity; planning and evidence-informed practice; and measuring, monitoring, and evaluating quality improvement initiatives.

Public Health Sudbury & Districts Accountability Monitoring Framework

Local Context

1. What

2. Why

3. How

Provincial Lens

Local Lens


This item was last modified on May 23, 2019