Janice Mills Discusses LHIN

Janice Mills, recently retired from a carer in nursing and halth care administration, talked to the Sunrise Rotary Club on Tusesday, July 28 about the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Healh Integration Network (LHIN). She is a charter member and past president of the Rotary Club of Brantford Sunrise. The Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant LHIN plans, funds, and integrates the local health system. The goal is to provide appropriate, coordinated, effective, and efficient health services in Brant, Burlington, Haldimand, Hamilton, Niagara, and Norfolk. LHINs oversee nearly two-thirds of the health care budget in Ontario (representing over $20 billion annually). One of the LHIN thrusts is "Alternative Level of Care" or ALC, a term used to describe hospitalized patients who no longer require acute care and are waiting for transfer to another type of care. Many ALC patients find themselves waiting in the hospital faced with important decisions regarding their longer term care needs. This can be a stressful time for patients and families. While hospitals provide safe, high quality care, patients waiting for alternate level of care may be at risk of hospital acquired illness and deterioration in physical, mental and social functioning. For further information please visit www.hnhblhin.on.ca.