Kids Come First Ontario Health Team!
The Ontario Ministry of Health is introducing Ontario Heath Teams (OHTs) to organize and deliver care that is more connected to people in their local communities.
Infants, children, and youth are not adults — their health-care needs are totally different. They are still developing, they live with different illnesses, experience mental health and addictions differently. They require a wider range of health-care providers, have parents or guardians who co-manage their care, and attend daycare or school. For these reasons and more, we need to better connect health services for kids, making it easier and faster to access.
So, we’re putting together an OHT specially designed for children and youth! As a member of this OHT, we will deliver our services in a way that works best for you and we’ll help other organizations that care for kids to do the same. We intend to co-design this OHT with children, youth and families every step of the way!
#NameOurOHT was a success!
Grade 1 student Rémi Lamoureux, age 6, suggested “Kids Come First” «Les enfants avant tout». He learned of the naming contest from his dad Michael, who was notified by their family physician, Dr. Alicia Donohue at Your Health Votre Santé. Michael and Rémi, along with mom Désirée and brother Sacha brainstormed the family’s favourite and entered the naming contest. Over 120 name suggestions were received and narrowed down to just three by a group of youth. Over 1,200 votes were cast and Rémi’s Kids Come First is the winner!
Photos above: Left: Rémi Lamoureux and Right: The Lamoureux Family
A lot of individuals and organizations are involved in putting this team together. Some serve only children or teens, others whole communities.
Our OHT aims to improve the experience of child and youth physical and mental health and health services. Thanks for helping us to name our team.
Here are the organizations that have been working on this important project:
Almonte General Hospital
- Bayshore Healthcare
- Carleton Place District Memorial Hospital
- Carlington Community Health Centre
- Centretown Community Health Centre
- Centre de santé communautaire de l’Estrie
- Centre de services communautaires Vanier
- Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health (CECYM)
- Centre Psychosocial
- Champlain Maternal Newborn Regional Program (CMNRP)
- Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario – Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre
- Children’s Mental Health of Leeds & Grenville (child and youth mental health lead agency for Lanark/Leeds/Grenville)
- Citizen Advocacy
- Communicare Therapy
- Ottawa Children’s Coordinated Access & Referral to Services
- Cornwall Community Hospital (child and youth mental health lead agency for Stormont/Dundas/Glengarry)
- Crossroads Children’s Mental Health Centre
- Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre
- Dr. Jane Liddle, Community pediatrics representative – THRIVE steering committee
- Dr. Jolanda Turley, Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa
- Dr. Kathy Keely, Chief of Community Pediatrics
- Dr. Lee Donohue, Your Health Votre Santé Family Practice
- Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association (EORLA)
- Family Advisory Council, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario – Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre
- Family Advisory Council, Roger Neilson House
- Family Services Ottawa
- GEM Healthcare
- Inuuqatigiit Centre (formerly Ottawa Inuit Children’s Centre)
- Kemptville District Hospital
- Maison Fraternité
- North Lanark Community Health Centre
- Open Doors for Lanark Children and Youth
- Orleans-Cumberland Community Resource Centre
- Ottawa Child and Youth Initiative Council of Partners (representing over 80 child- and youth-serving organizations)
- Ottawa Public Health (OPH)
- ParaMed
- Parents’ Lifelines of Eastern Ontario (PLEO)
- Pembroke Regional Hospital
- Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre
- Rainbow Valley Community Health Centre
- Renfrew Victoria Hospital
- Rideauwood Addictions
- Roberts Smart Centre
- Roger Neilson House (RNH)
- Sandy Hill Community Health Centre
- Seaway Valley Community Health Centre
- SE Health
- Somerset West Community Health Centre
- SouthEast Ottawa Community Health Centre
- St. Francis Memorial Hospital
- St. Mary’s Home
- The Ottawa Rotary Home
- The Phoenix Centre for Children and Families (child and youth mental health lead agency for Renfrew)
- The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre
- Valoris for Children and Adults of Prescott-Russell (child and youth mental health lead agency for Prescott & Russell)
- Youth Services Bureau (child and youth mental health lead agency for Ottawa)
- Wabano Aboriginal Health Access Centre
- Youville Centre