Communications between the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the Grey Bruce Board of Health, & Governance implications for Public Health Sudbury & Districts (Motion #39-25)

Board of Health for Public Health Sudbury & Districts, September 18, 2025

Motion moved by Masood – Barclay

39-25 COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH AND THE GREY BRUCE BOARD OF HEALTH, & GOVERNANCE IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH SUDBURY & DISTRICTS

MOTION:

WHEREAS the Ministry of Health has intervened with Boards of Health in response to governance issues in 2006 with the Muskoka-Parry Sound Health Unit, in 2015 with Algoma Public Health, and now in 2025 with Grey Bruce Health Unit;

AND WHEREAS the 2006 Capacity Review Committee recommended skills-based boards of health, which have not been realized;

AND WHEREAS the Chief Medical Officer of Health has recommended to Grey Bruce Health Unit the development of a “skills matrix” for board of health members as a consequence of this most recent incident, in order to establish a skills-based board of health there;

AND WHEREAS Public Health Sudbury & Districts has a long history and strong reputation for excellence in governance practices and financial oversight;

AND WHEREAS Public Health Sudbury & Districts has been a leader in the province around governance improvements, most recently establishing the inclusion of Indigenous membership on the Board of Health;

THAT the Board of Health receive the communications between the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the Chair of the Grey Bruce Health Unit Board of Health for information;

AND THAT the Board of Health recommit to vigilance around its governance practices, including its ongoing work to strengthen governance training, its financial oversight work, and its efforts to ensure municipal politics do not impact Board discussions; this includes that all Board members set aside any considerations of or loyalties to other organizations in order to exercise their fiduciary duty as Board members;

AND THAT the Board of Health direct the Acting Medical Officer of Health & CEO to build on the recent request to municipalities to include an Indigenous person on the Board of Health, to now broaden that and recommend a comprehensive skills-matrix to guide municipalities and the Public Appointments Secretariat in future Board of Health appointments.

CARRIED

This item was last modified on September 22, 2025