What is community engagement and how will it change anything?
Community engagement means open communication and broad, inclusive consultation with residents, consumers and providers. The Local Health System Integration Act, 2006 provides the legislative framework for creating a health system in Ontario that engages the community about needs and priorities. Such a level of public engagement in health-care planning is unprecedented for the province. Running a $40 billion system from Toronto for a province as large as Ontario doesn’t make sense. To improve the health system in this region, health officials need to listen to local concerns.
