We want to partner with you!

Ontario Health North: North East and North West Patient & Family Advisory Councils (PFAC)

What is the opportunity?

Ontario Health is an agency created by the Government of Ontario. We have a mandate to connect and coordinate our province’s health care system to help ensure Ontarians receive the best possible care.

There are five geographic regions that are part of Ontario Health. The regions are the ‘front door’ to communities and people across the province. Ontario Health North is one of five geographic regions. We cover 80% of Ontario’s land mass and are home to 5% of the province’s population (798,093 residents).

Our staff are health care specialists, financial managers, innovators, and Northern Ontario community members who care deeply about the health and well-being of people. We believe in patient-centred care and in health equity for all. One of the most important things we do is listen – to people/patients and their families, caregivers, health professionals, and health partners.

We are creating two Patient & Family Advisory Councils for Ontario Health North – one for Northeastern Ontario and one for Northwestern Ontario.

We want to work with you so that we can better understand your health care experiences, needs, and priorities. You can play an important role in shaping how our region designs and delivers health care that improves people’s healthcare experiences across the North.

We need your help to do this work

Each Patient & Family Advisory Council will be made up of 12-15 people from across the North.

Members will advise us on topics such as mental health and addictions, virtual health care, health equity, pandemic response and recovery, and overall health care planning.

We are looking for people who represent our region’s diverse communities, including people who:

• Regularly use the health system or are a caregiver of a health system user.
  
• Are interested in improving care for others across the region.
  
• Have some understanding of Ontario’s health-care system, and how the parts of the system connect to each other.
  
• May be underserved by our current system.
  
• Represent the diversity of the population of Northern Ontario, including equity-seeking groups. For example, members of Indigenous, Francophone, Black, LGBTQIA2S+, low-income, disability, newcomers.
  

Are you Interested?

Here is what we would need from you:

• An interest in working with other patient advisors across the health system and participating in ongoing training and educational opportunities.
  
• Attendance at meetings (virtually or in-person) a minimum of 4 times per year.
  
• Active participation in ways to improve people’s experience with the health system.
  

If you are interested in participating:

Please take a few minutes to fill out this Expression of Interest* with a bit of information about yourself, your interests, and your experiences. The Expression of Interest closes Thursday, December 9.

We want your experience to be as accessible as possible—we don’t want you to feel intimidated or overwhelmed in applying to be on the Council. We are available to support you through this process. If you have any questions or need any accommodations to complete the form or participate in an interview, please reach out to us.

For support in applying or to get more information: Contact – Katerine Moyer, Health Equity and Priority Populations / Communications and Engagement either by email at: katerine.moyer@ontariohealth.ca or by telephone at: 705-358-2508

All applications will be reviewed, and we will invite potential candidates for an informal telephone or video interview. Participation on the PFAC is strictly voluntary and remuneration for participation is not provided at this time. Council members will be reimbursed for expenses related to council participation in accordance with Ontario Health’s policies.

We will get back to everyone about their application. If you are not selected for the PFAC but are interested in other opportunities, you can sign up for Ontario Health’s Patient & Family Advisor Network.

* Note: The following people are not eligible for PFAC membership: members of Ontario Health-funded health service provider board of directors, staff of Ontario Health-funded health service providers, elected representatives, practicing health-care professionals, paid employees of health charities, employees of companies in health industries, elected officials, and employees of provincial and federal health ministries.