Health system 'way too complex' but improving, LHIN CEO says

There have been great strides in the local health care system over the last decade, but there is still much work to do to make it even better.

That was the message of Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) CEO Bruce Lauckner Friday in an inaugural State of the Health System address.

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"We have a lot to celebrate," Lauckner told a room packed full of people gathered for the breakfast meeting at The Tannery in Kitchener. 

But, he noted, "Our system is still way too complex."

The LHIN presented a community report that touted lower wait times in local emergency departments, more equitable care including for Indigenous community members, better access to addiction services and more opportunities for in-home patient care rather than in the hospital.

Celebrate frontline workers

In an interview with CBC News after the address, Lauckner said they wanted to celebrate the work of doctors, nurses and frontline staff over the last decade.

"They tell me about how challenging it is each and every day and the great work that they do isn't always recognized. So we thought it was time to pause for a moment and just celebrate and recognize all of those who give care our loved ones each and every day," he said.

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He added they also wanted to foster the idea of community – the "spirit of we" he called it – noting it has taken help from partners and the community to improve the system.

More to be done

But while the day was largely for cheerleading the system's accomplishments, he noted things are far from perfect.

Workers are pushed to exhaustion, there is too much paperwork and too much complexity to getting the job done. He said patient wait times also need to improve.

"That starts with things like tackling paperwork. That starts with things like focusing on what's important to the patient, that starts with bringing our tech community in — which we've done — and bringing things like electronic health records to make information flow much more easily," he said.

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Several local officials attended the address, including Waterloo Mayor Dave Jaworsky who said he is hearing from residents more and more that the health care system here is getting better. Previously, people would have to drive to London, Hamilton or Toronto to get treatment but now they can access the same resources in the community.

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"I'm hearing how things have changed over the years, how much things have improved," Jaworsky said.

"We're now bringing all these services here, locally, including the Wellington area, and I think that's so important to people."