Southwestern Public Health invites community input to help shape its five-year strategic plan

Southwestern Public Health has launched a community feedback campaign to help shape its five-year strategic plan.

Throughout November, the health unit will host staff town halls and interviews with community service providers to gather perspectives from health and social service partners. The public are encouraged to participate through an online survey.

“It is important for us to hear from a range of people across the region to better understand how we are meeting the community’s needs, and where we can dig deeper into what matters most over the next five years,” says Cynthia St. John, Chief Executive Officer at Southwestern Public Health.

Public health is one pillar in the larger health care system in Ontario. While hospitals, primary care, and emergency services provide healthcare to individuals, public health focuses on health at the population level. Public health has three core functions: health protection, health promotion, and illness prevention. A strategic plan outlines where the health unit will prioritize its work and funding allocation within these functions.

This new plan will replace the current five-year plan which expires at the end of 2024.

“The past five years have been remarkable for our health unit, and for public health in general,” says St. John. “The COVID-19 pandemic underscored just how vital it is to have collaborative input related to population health, and that sentiment rings true in all aspects of our work. Listening ensures we can continue our momentum in addressing the health inequities and challenges that impact our communities for a healthier, more vibrant region.”

Under the Ontario Public Health Standards, Boards of Health are required to have a strategic plan that outlines strategic priorities over a three-to-five-year span. Southwestern Public Health last published a five-year strategic plan in 2019 shortly after its merger between Elgin-St. Thomas Public Health and Oxford County Public Health.

Watch this video to learn more about the vital role Southwestern Public Health plays in the communities we serve. Those who cannot access the survey online can complete a printed version at the St. Thomas or Woodstock public health unit locations. The feedback survey will close on Nov. 29, 2024.