Download Public Health is…. - Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit

Public Health
in Simcoe Muskoka
Charles Gardner, MD, CCFP, MHSc, FRCPC
Medical Officer of Health
•What has made us healthy?
•What is Public Health?
•What are the public health priorities in Simcoe Muskoka?
…Our unfinished work:
7.5 more years of life expectancy
Source: SEVEN MORE YEARS: The impact of smoking, alcohol, diet, physical activity and stress on health and life expectancy in Ontario. Institute for Clinical
Evaluative Sciences, Public Health Ontario
What are the social determinants of health?
• Access to education,
meaningful employment,
sufficient income
• Secure access to basic
material needs – living wage,
housing, transportation
(community design)
• Access to social networks /
supports
• Early child development
(prenatal factors, positive
parenting, secure and
stimulating environment)
Public Health is….
• A 160 year old
movement
• Strategies focused on
populations
• To prevent disease,
and protect and
promote health
Our Board of Health in 2016
Barry Ward,
Scott Warnock
City of Barrie
County of Simcoe
Chair
Vice Chair
•
Sandy Cairns, District of Muskoka
•
Sergio Morales, City of Barrie
•
Ralph Cipolla, City of Orillia
•
•
Lynn Dollin, County of Simcoe
Margaretta Papp-Belayneh,
Provincial Appointee
•
Anita Dubeau, County of Simcoe
•
Terry Pilger, District of Muskoka
•
Fred Hamelink, Provincial Appointee
•
•
Stephen Kinsella, Provincial
Appointee
Ben Rattelade, Provincial
Appointee
•
•
Gail Mullen, Provincial Appointee
Brian Saunderson, County of
Simcoe
•
Peter Willmott, Provincial
Appointee
The Ontario Public Health Standards & Protocols
Food Safety
•
•
•
Provide training and
education to food premises
operators/owners
Formal food handler training
provincial food handler
training plan
– Workshops and self study
options available
– List of accredited programs on
MOHLTC website
Provide food safety
education to general
community
topics include:
– Food safety at home
– Special events/farmers markets
– Raw milk
Safe Water: Drinking Water
• Conduct inspections and
assessments of small drinking water
systems
– Risk based and individualized approach
– 728 Small Drinking Water Systems
– Issuance of a Directive outlining legislative
requirements for that specific system
– Enforcement - to gain compliance with
regulation and parameters for treatment
and sampling as per the Directive
• Adverse Water Quality Incidents
– Investigation and response, 24 hours 7
days per week
• Private Residential Wells
– Facilitate testing
– Interpretation of results and
recommendations for maintenance and
remediation as warranted
Community Emergency Management
Health Emergencies
• Pandemic Influenza
• SARS
Tornado Response Protocol
• Weather Monitoring &
Surveillance
• Designated Site Signage
• Staff Awareness/Fact Sheets
Mass Gathering Events
• Pan-Am Games
• Burl’s Creeks
Extreme Heat & Cold Planning
Immunization Provision / Promotion
and Outbreak Response
Healthy Babies Healthy Children
Province-wide voluntary
prevention/early intervention program
Goals:
•
To promote optimal physical, cognitive,
communicative and psychosocial
development in children who are at risk
prenatal to age 6 years
•
Supports for healthy child development and
family well being through the development
of a network of service providers and
participation in community planning
activities
Injury and Substance Misuse Prevention
Injury
• Road and off road safety
• Falls across the lifespan
• Working towards a Regional Falls
Prevention Strategy for older adults
Substance Misuse
• Alcohol Focus Report
• Work with all levels of government
on alcohol control measures
• Working towards a Drug and Alcohol
Strategy
Chronic Disease Prevention
•Tobacco Program
– Preventing young people from smoking
– Protecting people from exposure to
second-hand smoke
– Supporting people to quit smoking
– Enforcing the Smoke Free Ontario Act
• Healthy Lifestyle Program
– Promoting healthy eating and food
security
– Promoting physical activity
– Reviewing official and other municipal
plans related to health
We have engineered physical activity
out of our lives.
A healthy community provides
opportunities…
•
For people to walk and cycle to work.
•
For children to be able to walk and bike safely to school.
•
To be connected to parks, other neighbourhoods and trails.
•
To enjoy the natural environment such as water, farmland and green space.
•
To have access to healthy foods that are fresh and affordable in every
neighbourhood.
•
To have sidewalks, pathways, trails and bike lanes that are inviting, accessible,
safe and connected to amenities and public transit.
•
For connection to community gathering places.
•
Has sufficient density to support all of this.
Our Priority Population
• Low income individuals and families
– Focus Report on Low Income Families and Individuals –
early 2015 release
– Situational Assessment Report on Low Income Families
and Individuals
– HealthSTATS website
– Health Equity Impact Assessments
Photo courtesy of
Barrie Food Bank
Climate Change Action Plan
• Climate Change identified as a priority
public health issue requiring a coordinated
and comprehensive agency response,
working with our communities.
• Community Vulnerability Assessment in
2017
Final Thoughts
•
•
•
People’s health has always been about their
living conditions.
Public Health provides a wide range of
services – all to prevent disease for the entire
population.
SMDHU is addressing the population health
challenges and opportunities in Simcoe
Muskoka.