Release of Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, Phase II Regulations for Fixing Long-Term Care Act, and Provincial Emergency Management Plan

Release of “Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care”

The provincial government has released “Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care”, a plan to deliver connected and convenient health care. This plan sets out government initiatives under three pillars: The Right Care in the Right Place, Faster Access to Care, and Hiring More Health Care Workers.

The plan includes previous announcements regarding Ontario Health Teams, long-term care beds, and health human resources, among other health care initiatives. While there are no new announcements related to municipal health services, Your Health outlines how these measures fit into the province’s overall health care plan.

Release of Phase II Regulations for the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021

High level descriptions of the proposed Phase II regulations for the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 have been released and are open for comment until March 5, 2023. The provincial government is proposing that the regulations come into force on April 11, 2023. The proposed regulations cover staffing qualifications, medication management and drug administration, resident experience, and technical amendments.

The posting includes an analysis of regulatory impact that estimates that the proposed regulations will generate an estimated average direct compliance cost for licensees (with operational funding) of approximately $15,900 in the first year of implementation and $4,200 per year in subsequent years. The total estimated direct compliance costs for all licensees across the province is $33.5 million over a ten-year period.

AMO continues to advocate to the province for full funding of all regulations related to the implementation of the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021, and will work with AdvantAge Ontario to assess the accuracy of the projected cost impact.

Provincial Emergency Management Strategy and Action Plan

Following strong advocacy for better cooperation between municipal and provincial levels of government on emergency management, AMO was pleased to see the recent release of the Provincial Emergency Management Strategy and Action Plan. The plan seeks to ensure Ontarians are safe, practiced and prepared before, during and after emergencies and is the product of productive and ongoing engagement with the municipal sector.

This plan identifies three goals and concrete actions designed to keep Ontario in a state of constant readiness and preparedness—both now and into the future:

• One Window for All Ontarians which positions Emergency Management Ontario to proactively coordinate and facilitate across emergency management partners.
• Proactive Planning and Monitoring that is grounded in data, analytics and knowledge.
• Practiced and Prepared Emergency Response through strengthened local capabilities, emergency management training and public education.