Southlake Health, Bradford West Gwillimbury, and the NYSS OHT partner to enhance local health and wellness

New memorandum of understanding will help address the needs of one of Canada’s fastest growing communities

December 13, 2024 – Bradford, ON – The Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury, Southlake Health, and the Northern York South Simcoe Ontario Health Team (NYSS OHT) have joined forces to address the health and wellness needs of one of Canada’s fastest growing communities. During an announcement earlier today with MPP Caroline Mulroney, a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed establishing a formal relationship between the parties around shared goals of improving services for residents in Bradford West Gwillimbury.

“Since being elected to represent the great people of York-Simcoe, bringing healthcare closer to home for families has been a top priority. Today’s announcement reflects a strong partnership in our community to deliver care to those who need it most,” said Caroline Mulroney, MPP for York-Simcoe. “Our government will continue to explore innovative and creative healthcare solutions for residents and their families as we build up our healthcare system for the next generation.”

“We are thrilled to announce this important partnership with Southlake Health, and our local NYSS OHT which will bring even more healthcare services and resources directly to the residents of Bradford West Gwillimbury. This memorandum of understanding reflects our commitment to improving access to care, fostering innovation, and addressing the unique health needs of our rapidly growing community,” said James Leduc, Mayor of Bradford West Gwillimbury.  “Together, we will build a stronger, healthier future for our residents, ensuring that no one is left behind as we continue to expand services and support wellness at every level.” 

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) focuses on the following five areas for collaboration:

  • Health Facilities and Resources
    • Increase health-oriented service capacity through the development of new facilities and resources in Bradford West Gwillimbury, as well as the expanded use of existing spaces to increase access to care
  • New and Expanded Health and Wellness Programs
    • Improve health equity by increasing access to inclusive, evidence-informed programs and services that meet Bradford West Gwillimbury’s current and future needs
  • Advocacy and Community/Partner/Provider Engagement
    • Collaboratively pursue and advocate for support and investments from funders and decision-makers at all levels of government
  • Data Sharing
    • Working together to inform shared pursuits that leverage each organization’s information and insights, while upholding all applicable privacy requirements
  • Research and Innovation
    • Explore joint partnerships with academic institutions to bolster research that informs literature and advances knowledge and standards for leading edge care

“Southlake is pushing care beyond our walls and reaching into every community we serve, forging strong partnerships to meet evolving healthcare needs with innovation and compassion,” said Paul Woods, MD, President and CEO of Southlake Health. “We’re thrilled to be working with our partners on council and at the NYSS OHT to deliver leading edge care, closer to home for residents in Bradford West Gwillimbury.”

The partnership directly correlates to Southlake Health’s new ten-year strategy, which focuses on building capacity through a Distributed Health Network in the communities it serves by working in collaboration with local service providers and municipal partners. A Distributed Health Network is a new way to organize and deliver care across our broad geographic catchment area. Services will be spread throughout the municipalities served by Southlake.

“Bradford West Gwillimbury is already involved in our OHT, and we are excited to continue building community partnerships to increase programs and services for residents,” said Christina Bisanz, Co-Chair of the Northern York South Simcoe Ontario Health Team. “By taking a collaborative approach, we’ll improve coordination of initiatives and the gaps in services to create a real impact for patients and the overall quality of life for the people we serve.”

Quotes:

“As a Council, expanding the availability and variety of local healthcare services is one of our top strategic priorities. Witnessing this initiative come to fruition is incredibly fulfilling. This MOU marks a significant milestone, showcasing the collaboration and dedication of all Council members. Together, we are enhancing healthcare access for those who need it most, and we take great pride in the progress we’ve achieved in improving accessibility for everyone.”

– Raj Sandhu, Deputy Mayor of Bradford West Gwillimbury

“At the heart of our partnership is a shared goal to ensure that everyone has access to leading edge care. Ultimately, this is about building a healthier community for the people we serve today and the generations we will serve in the years ahead.”

– David Makary, MD, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Southlake Health and Co-Chair at           Northern York South Simcoe Ontario Health Team

Quick Facts:

  • In 2022, Bradford West Gwillimbury experienced a 21 per cent increase in population growth, making it one of the fasted growing municipalities in Canada.
  • In 2023/24, Bradford West Gwillimbury residents visited Southlake’s Emergency Department more than 14,400 times. The five most common reasons residents were admitted to Southlake were child birth, pneumonia, heart failure, arrhythmia, and sepsis.
  • Through a new strategy for the decade ahead, Southlake is leveraging its expertise to build a Distributed Health Network that provides leading edge care, closer to home as the newly named – Southlake Health.

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Media Contact:

Alysha Kearney

Communication Strategist

(289) 338-4368
akearney@southlake.ca  

About Southlake Health

For 100 years and counting, Southlake Health has built healthy communities through leading edge care with an unwavering pride for people, place, and performance. Over the years, Southlake Health has evolved into one of Canada’s top healthcare organizations. It is more than a single centre. Southlake Health is a network of expertise, compassion, and excellence that delivers health and wellness, close to home.

With 6,000 staff, medical staff, volunteers and learners, as well as an operating budget in excess of $600 million, Southlake Health operates several sites to deliver care to patients across northern York Region and southern Simcoe County. It also provides specialized cardiac and cancer care to patients as far north as Muskoka and as far south as North York through its regional programs.

Southlake Health is committed to growing alongside the communities its serves. State-of-the-art technologies, advanced research, and the latest techniques help patients in every stage of life. In a recognition of its commitment to quality and patient safety, Southlake Health has received the highest distinction of Exemplary Standing from Accreditation Canada for the past 16 years. Known as a pioneer in innovative integrated care initiatives, the Southlake@home program has spread across Ontario to ensure care is always within reach.

With support from its communities, Southlake Health will continue to save lives, push boundaries, and bring care closer to home for people today and for generations to come. Help us do more by donating at southlake.ca/foundation. 

About the Northern York Region South Simcoe Ontario Health Team

Northern York South Simcoe Ontario Health Team (NYSS OHT) is a partnership of health care organizations providing a wide range of high-quality health and social care services to the residents of northern York Region and southern Simcoe County. The NYSS OHT works to connect care in the communities it serves by working closely together to increase access and reduce gaps in the health care system.