HKPR District Health Unit and Peterborough Public Health Moves Forward With Merger

The Boards of Health for Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPR District Health Unit) and Peterborough Public Health (PPH) are moving forward with a voluntary merger, effective on Jan. 1, announced on Wednesday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The merger's goal is to sustain and improve the delivery of public health programs and services across the City of Kawartha Lakes, the County of Haliburton, Northumberland County, Hiawatha First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation, Alderville First Nation, Peterborough County and the City of Peterborough as stated by PPH.

The merger will be supported through an investment of $10.1 million from the Province of Ontario, which was announced on Monday. The investment will support the merger directly, catch-up activities, and service improvements to strengthen public health in this region.

“This is an important milestone bringing both public health units together to form one new organization,” said David Marshall, Board Chair for the HKPR District Health Unit. “Our dedicated and now combined employees of more than 300 public health professionals will continue to work with our communities, partners and stakeholders to protect and promote health and prevent disease within our combined areas to keep our residents healthy.”

In August last year, the Ministry of Health announced plans to strengthen the public health sector by offering one-time funding, resources and support to local public health agencies that voluntarily merged by Jan. 1.

In response to the announcement, the both organizations say they engaged the consulting firm Sense and Nous to conduct a feasibility study on a potential merger. They voted to move forward with the merger process in February and a voluntary merger proposal and budget was submitted to the Ministry of Health on April 2. The new Board of Health will meet for the first time in the new year. The Ministry of Health has assured the public health unit that the government commits to 100 per cent provincial funding support for this merger with no fiscal impacts to municipalities and First Nations as a result of this merger, and in principle also commit to funding eligible merger expenses in subsequent years according to a press release.

Membership of the new Board of Health will include nine municipal representatives (two from the County of Northumberland, two from the City of Kawartha Lakes, one from the County of Haliburton, two from the County of Peterborough, and two from the City of Peterborough). In addition, the new Board of Health intends to have section 50 representation (one member from Curve Lake First Nation and one from Hiawatha First Nation). The new Board of Health will also include provincial appointees, as outlined in the Health Protection and Promotion Act, and these members are yet to be confirmed.

“Peterborough residents became more familiar with public health’s role and leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the health unit in our community has served us for over 135 years with a wide-reaching scope beyond infectious diseases,” said Councillor Joy Lachica, PPH Board Chair. “With our friends at HKPR and the generous funding investment by the province, we will sustain and grow public health services for our residents.”

A new organizational structure and leadership team for the merged public health unit will be announced later. Both current public health units will remain operational, with no immediate impact on programs and services provided to the public says PPH. A new identity and brand will be launched in early 2025.Further communication will be released once the new health unit launches its official business name and new logo.

During this time, both the HKPR District Health Unit and Peterborough Public Health remain committed to engaging with the communities they serve, partners and teams to determine future opportunities to continue the important work of public health across the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, Northumberland County, Hiawatha First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation, Alderville First Nation, Peterborough County and the City of Peterborough.

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