| 137323 | LETTER | N | Y | PERS_MAT | MAIN | ACTION | POSTPONE | N | Appointment of Medical Officer of Health | 2024.HL18.1 | Personal matters pertaining to the appointment of a Medical Officer of Health | Y | Y | Y | Y | <p>Over the past several months, the Medical Officer of Health Hiring Committee has been working alongside Phelps Group to find Toronto’s next Medical Officer of Health in preparation for Dr. Eileen de Villa’s departure at the end of this year. After an extensive search and interview process, we are bringing forward a recommendation to appoint the new Medical Officer of Health.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A report on the appointment of the recommended Medical Officer of Health will be submitted for consideration to the November 18th meeting of the Board of Health.</p> | 18 | 1 | BOARD | HL | All | N | … | Letter | ACTION | Personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees | Deferred | Main | Board | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | ACTION | true | Deferred | … | … | … | … | — | — | — |
| 137772 | REPORT | N | Y | PERS_MAT | MAIN | ACTION | NO_ACTN | N | Appointment of Medical Officer of Health | 2024.HL18.1a | Personal matters pertaining to the appointment of a Medical Officer of Health | Y | Y | Y | Y | <p>The purpose of this report is to recommend to the Board of Health an appointment to the position of Medical Officer of Health (MOH).</p> | 18 | 1 | BOARD | HL | All | N | … | Report | ACTION | Personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees | No Action | Main | Board | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 137415 | REPORT | N | N | — | MAIN | ACTION | AMENDED | N | Our Health, Our City: Annual Progress Report 2024 | 2024.HL18.2 | — | Y | Y | Y | Y | <p>In November 2023, the Board of Health adopted <a href="https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/977e-PublicHealthOurHealthOurCityMHAStrategy.pdf">Our Health, Our City: A Mental Health, Substance Use, Harm Reduction and Treatment Strategy for Toronto</a>, which is a comprehensive five-year and city-wide strategy to address both mental health and substance use related issues in Toronto. The Board of Health also directed the Medical Officer of Health to report back to the Board with annual progress reports on the implementation of Our Health, Our City.</p>
<p><em><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"> </span></em></p>
<p>This staff report provides an update on the current landscape, including the ongoing drug toxicity epidemic, as well as an overview of progress made in 2024 towards the implementation of the strategy, such as establishing the Our Health, Our City Implementation Panel, which includes representatives with lived and living experience of substance use and/or mental health challenges and a range of community partners. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Over the last year, significant progress has been made towards the first-year priorities identified in the strategy. For example, the City has made advances on affordable and supportive housing, partners are taking steps to increase access to 24-7 crisis support services, and the Toronto Police Service has established a new pilot project to improve hospital transitions. Most notably, the Toronto Community Crisis Service has been expanded city-wide, which improves access to appropriate services and support for people in crisis.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Partners across the City have demonstrated action in areas that are well-aligned with Our Health, Our City recommendations, as well as continued partnership and collaboration to advance the strategy. Some examples of divisional initiatives are highlighted in this report, and a comprehensive status overview is provided in Attachment 1: Our Health, Our City Status Overview 2024. The Our Health, Our City Implementation Panel was also established in September 2024 following a public application process, and this panel will provide ongoing advice to further implement the strategy, including exploring priority areas of action for the following years.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finally, this report also provides an update on recent actions to reduce harms specifically associated with cannabis, vaping, and smoking for youth. Toronto Public Health continues to provide an inspection and enforcement function, as well as health promotion, prevention, and education to reduce the harms associated with youth vaping.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Children's Services, Economic, Development and Culture, Toronto Employment and Social Services, Fire Services, Municipal Licensing and Standards, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, Senior Services and Long-Term Care, Social Development, Finance and Administration, Toronto Paramedic Services, Toronto Police Services, Toronto Public Library, Toronto Shelter and Support Services, and Toronto Transit Commission were consulted in the development of this report.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Parallel work on a co-developed Indigenous Wellness strategy is also underway at Toronto Public Health. An Indigenous Wellness Table and Indigenous Harm Reduction Circle with Indigenous-led service providers in the city were established and both groups continue to convene to advance Indigenous wellness, with a particular focus on harm reduction and promoting mental health and wellness.</p> |
| 137421 | REPORT | N | N | — | MAIN | ACTION | ADOPTED | N | Addressing Routine Immunization Rates Among School-Aged Children and Youth | 2024.HL18.3 | — | Y | Y | Y | Y | <p>Toronto Public Health (TPH) works to facilitate high vaccination rates among elementary and secondary school-aged students and prevent vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks in schools and communities. Vaccinating children and youth protect them against vaccine-preventable diseases and some cancers and can prevent children and youth from passing on an infection to other people in their family or school.</p>
<p><br />Ontario's Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) requires students who attend elementary and secondary school to be vaccinated against nine designated diseases or to have a valid exemption. It is the responsibility of parents and caregivers of students to report their immunizations to Toronto Public Health. Under the requirements of the Immunization of School Pupils Act, students who do not submit the required vaccination records or a valid exemption form to Toronto Public Health may be suspended from school.</p>
<p><br />Following a pause in student suspensions during the pandemic, Toronto Public Health resumed the full Immunization of School Pupils Act assessment and enforcement process for the 2023-2024 school year. This included suspensions from school for students who did not provide Toronto Public Health with complete Immunization of School Pupils Act vaccine records or a valid exemption. Toronto Public Health reminds and assists families and schools to promote Immunization of School Pupils Act compliance through informational and vaccination initiatives so that students can avoid suspension or return to school as quickly as possible. Toronto Public Health includes equity-focused initiatives in their student immunization programs, including working with other health and community partners to share messages about vaccines and assigning Public Health Nurses to schools with lower rates of coverage and Aanse-focused schools that have the highest numbers of self-identified Indigenous students.</p>
<p><br />Through the School Immunization Program (SIP), Toronto Public Health offers three vaccines to grade seven and eight students at clinics in schools. These vaccines are meningococcal, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), and the hepatitis B vaccines. Vaccine clinics in schools were paused during the pandemic response. The resumption of school-based clinics for adolescents promotes vaccine uptake.</p> |
| 137416 | REPORT | N | N | — | MAIN | ACTION | ADOPTED | N | Authority to Receive Grants in Support of Public Health Initiatives | 2024.HL18.4 | — | Y | Y | Y | Y | <p>On occasion, Toronto Public Health (TPH) can apply for grants from third parties, including community organizations and agencies reporting to other orders of government. The purpose of a grant can range from providing additional public health services for community benefits, to engaging in research and projects that support topics of public health significance.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A recent example of this is a partnership with the Urban Public Health Network (UPHN), where Urban Public Health Network will provide Toronto Public Health with a one-time transfer of $100,000 CAD to enhance human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates among high school students for the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 school years. Funding will be used to initiate a project that will enhance communications and youth engagement to increase HPV vaccination.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This report seeks City Council authority for the Medical Officer of Health to accept grants, and to enter into contractual agreements for the purpose of accepting grants in the amount of $500,000 or less. If approved, this increase in delegated authority will enable Toronto Public Health to accept the Urban Public Health Network one-time funding, as well as access funds received from any future grants more quickly. Grants and funding above this amount would be reported to Council. Both the Board of Health and City Council will continue to be informed of all grant amounts received by Toronto Public Health through the annual budget process.</p> | 18 | 4 | BOARD | HL |
| 137414 | REPORT | N | N | — | MAIN | ACTION | ADOPTED | N | Strengthening and expanding the Into Kids' Health program | 2024.HL18.5 | — | Y | Y | Y | Y | <p class="Body">The Ontario Public Health Standards' School Health Guideline, 2018, indicates that the board of health shall develop and implement a program of public health interventions to improve the health of school-aged children and youth. <a href="https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/health-wellness-care/health-info-for-specific-audiences/health-info-for-schools-teachers/">The Toronto Healthy Schools Strategy</a> formalizes the commitment of Toronto Public Health and the Toronto school boards to support student well-being through the creation of healthy school environments.</p>
<p class="Body"> </p>
<p class="Body">The Into Kids’ Health program, is an evidence informed collaboration between Toronto Public Health and Toronto schools serving equity deserving communities that aims to create healthy school environments. Participating schools receive up to $7500 to be spent over two years, as well as additional Toronto Public Health initiatives and resources. A wide range of school initiatives have been implemented through the Into Kids' Health program, including revitalizing outdoor spaces, improving student mental health and strengthening ties to the community.</p>
<p class="Body"> </p>
<p class="Body">To expand the reach of the Into Kids' Health program to more equity deserving schools and streamline the administrative process for issuing funds to individual schools, this report seeks City Council authority for Toronto Public Health to transfer funds of $300,000 or less annually beginning in the 2024-2025 school year to participating school boards (Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, Mon Avenir, Conseil scolaire Viamonde).</p> | 18 |
| 137296 | LETTER | N | N | — | MAIN | ACTION | ADOPTED | N | Proposed 2025 Schedule of Board of Health Meetings | 2024.HL18.6 | — | Y | Y | Y | Y | <p>In accordance with Section 25 of the <a href="G:\SEC\Legislative Docs\2022-2026\Standing\Health\Meetings\2024\2024-11-18">Board of Health Procedures By-law</a>, regular meetings of the Board are determined by the Board and a schedule of those meetings shall be publicly available by the first meeting of the Board in each calendar year.</p>
<p><br />On July 24 and 25, 2024, City Council considered <a href="https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.CC20.11">Item CC20.11</a>, 2025 Schedule of Meetings, and approved the 2025 schedule of meetings for City Council and its Committees. The schedule also included proposed 2025 meeting dates for the Board of Health. The updated meeting schedule can be viewed on the City of Toronto's website at www.toronto.ca/council.</p> | 18 | 6 | BOARD | HL | All | N | … | Letter | ACTION | — | Adopted | Main | Board | … |