The Network 24 Ontario Health Team (OHT) has adopted a new name and will now be known as the Ottawa Valley Ontario Health Team.
The Ottawa Valley OHT stretches from Renfrew past Deep River, and includes the communities of Calabogie, Barry’s Bay, Eganville, Cobden, Pembroke and Petawawa, as well as those along Highway 60 to South Algonquin Township. The Four Rivers Ontario Health Team will include Arnprior and McNab/Braeside along with North Grenville, West Ottawa and Northern Lanark County
Joanne King the Co-Chair of the Ottawa Valley OHT, says “Network 24” had been assigned during the original application process, and it was always understood to be a temporary name until a permanent one was selected.
Co-Chair Dr. Declan Rowan said the new name speaks to the collaborative efforts
taking place in local health care and to the inclusivity of all who are involved – while also
being a simple name for the public to remember and identify with. He added that, with
the name now confirmed, the OHT’s Communications Working Group will be moving
forward with further branding development including logo design and creation of a
website.
The Ottawa Valley OHT received provincial approval last October.
Since that time, 50 agencies and organizations have officially signed on to be a part of the OHT. Other development work has included establishment of a Steering Committee and working groups which will focus on the new OHT’s three priority areas – mental health and addictions, ageing at home, and helping residents connect with family doctors.
The goal of Ontario Health Teams is to ensure delivery of a patient-centred health system in which health care partners work together in a coordinated approach that connects patients with the services they need in a more structured and timely manner.
Represented among those healthcare partners are hospitals, long-term care homes,
municipalities, paramedic services, primary care providers, agencies that provide social
services, palliative care, homecare, community care, mental health and addictions care,
and public health — as well as patients and caregivers.