Strengthening Public Health Through Voluntary Mergers

At the 2023 AMO Conference, the provincial government announced a series of new, planned measures to strengthen public health in Ontario. Among them was the intention to provide resources, support, and incentives to facilitate voluntary mergers to better support communities. This was responsive to AMO’s recommendation made during the consultations on public health modernization.

This week, the Ministry of Health issued a memo to all local public health agencies providing information to inform planning and next steps. Assistance will be provided in 2024 to support voluntary mergers. As a next step, the ministry is initiating discussions about potential merger opportunities. Details are found in the ministry’s slide deck.

AMO’s membership is encouraged to familiarize themselves with the process and engage with local Boards of Health about any potential plans. AMO will work with the Association of Local Public Health Agencies and play a role to inform the deliberations through membership education.