Northern Diabetes Health Network Cancelled – Manitouwadge, Sioux Lookout and Parry Sound Programs CLOSING
MANITOUWADGE, ON – Tuesday, October 2nd, OntarioNewsNorth.com became aware that on September 27, 2012, the Northern Diabetes Health Network (NDHN) had been notified by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care that the Province of Ontario was terminating its funding agreements with the NDHN, effective November 30, 2012.
The Manitouwadge Diabetes Health and Wellness Program (MDHWP), as well as the Diabetes programs in Sioux Lookout and Parry Sound also directly funded by the NDHN, will end as of November 30th. This information, until yesterday evening when the NDHN CEO Susan Griffis RN, MA, DBA, CHE was able to provide confirmation via email, had been very vague with few details certain and seemed to unbelievable to possibly be true. In hindsight the confusion we discovered when trying to get answers from the MDHWP and nearby member programs of the Network of Northern Ontario Diabetes Programs (47 community-based adult focused diabetes programs located across Northern Ontario) administered by the NDHN is now understandable as it would seem many were not aware of this situation until yesterday and for some, the call from OntarioNewsNorth.com looking for answers was the first hint that there could be something ‘going on’. In fact, one employee of a NNODP program near Manitouwadge agreed that it was fair to describe the news being shared with him/her that the NDHN was closing as “The first they had heard that there may be changes going on in the organization” even suggesting when speaking with OntarioNewsNorth.com that “It didn’t seem likely that this [news of NDHN closure] is correct, could it really be closing without us [an NNODP] being told?“. Another nearby NNODP program told us they had been informed just yesterday afternoon. It would seem unfortunate the news is travelling by word of mouth rather than a Press Release of some kind being issued by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care or the Ontario Government.
It is important to note that the NDHN is not just another level of bureaucracy with a fancy acronym; it is a vital organization which has served Northern Ontario for nearly 20 years providing services for children, youth and adults, and assisting people with diabetes to access these services. For health professionals and providers, the Northern Diabetes Health Network designed and offered unique professional development opportunities on an ongoing basis. Opportunities like the free e-learning program “Diabetes – A Basic Introduction e-Learning for Healthcare Professionals” available on the home page of their website (www.NDHN.org)
The NDHN is not ‘possibly loosing funding’ nor is it ‘under review for funding adjustments’ or even looking at ‘funding cuts’. The program ends November 30th having had the plug pulled on their organization practically overnight, given just 2 months to dissolve relationships and programs that have been forged over nearly 2 decades.
The Ministry requested that the NDHN take all appropriate action to terminate its agreements with its service providers and host agencies, effective November 30, 2012. In accordance with this request, the NDHN recently issued sixty-day notices of termination to the host agencies that have hosted NDHN-supported programs and activities for many years.
The scope of those who will be impacted by this decision is wide ranging and inclusive. It is a decision that will be felt not only those with diabetes across Northern Ontario but also those at risk as the NDHN mandate is fourfold:
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the Network of Northern Ontario Diabetes Programs (NNODP) – consisting of 47 community-based adult focused diabetes programs located across northern Ontario INCLUDING: Terrace Bay, Nipigon, Marathon, Wawa, Longlac, Hearst, Chapleau + 40 others
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the Network of Ontario Pediatric Diabetes Programs (NOPDP) – consists of 35 specialized pediatric diabetes programs; 30 secondary level programs located in selected communities across the province to ensure reasonable access to children and youth affected by diabetes, and 5 tertiary level programs located in Hamilton, Kingston, London, Ottawa and Toronto.
- the Northern Ontario Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative; Five key themes (clicking will take reader to the NDHN website) that reflect the diabetes priorities identified by 248 Aboriginal communities and organizations are used by the NDHN as criteria to approve funding for diabetes initiatives.
- Regional coordination of diabetes care across the continuum, from primary to tertiary level care.
The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care does seem to be trying to assuage concerns in regards to the continued existence of networks and diabetes programs administered by the NDHN. Northern Diabetes Health Network CEO Susan Griffis told OntarioNewsNorth.com that
“The Ministry has expressed its commitment to provide ongoing support and the same level of funding that is currently provided to the organizations that NDHN funds, and for the diabetes Regional Coordination Programs in order to minimize disruption to those services. The Ministry has not shared with us its intentions with respect to the three programs that are directly funded and operated by the NDHN.”
Unfortunately Ms. Griffis did not clarify, in her statement to OntarioNewsNorth.com, what the Ministry’s “commitment” actually meant in terms of how things would unfold for the networks and programs previously administered by NHDN or who would now be responsible for creating educational materials like those developed and produced by the NDHN, or providing professional development events like those scheduled for October which include ‘Primary Care Diabetes Boot Camp for Prescribers’, October 24 and Primary Care Diabetes Boot Camp October 25 & 26, 2012 in Thunder Bay (these two specific events are going forward as planned, Ms.Griffis has said that the NDHN is committed to ensuring they take place on behalf of the people they serve).
Ms. Griffis had included this statement “Unfortunately, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has not shared with us their intentions with respect to their next steps or [regarding] the commitment they have expressed to us.”
It would seem there remain many questions to be answered by the Ministry and the Province in regards to why this closure is happening, how Manitouwadge, Sioux Lookout and Parry Sound Diabetics will find care, education, support, etc or how those individuals in these communities who are at risk (who would have had free screening available through the NDHN) will be diagnosed or identified as high risk or having diabetes. How many jobs are being lost? Where the funding for the 2 networks of programs previously administered by NDHN will be coming from? Where healthcare providers will now refer Diabetics to for care and services in the 3 aforementioned communities? Where will healthcare professionals acquire the training and education that was available to them through the NDHN and who will develop Diabetes training and education materials in place of the NDHN? How many jobs are being lost due to the closure of the NDHN and it’s 3 directly funded programs? How many other programs are at risk of closures or cuts? These are just a few of the many questions that OntarioNewsNorth.com will continue to seek answers to as the closure date draws nearer.
The NDHN has been actively involved in the planning and delivery of diabetes services across the Province of Ontario for almost twenty years and has developed and built significant expertise in diabetes programming (treatment, management and primary prevention), particularly in relation to the Aboriginal communities of Northern Ontario. Will the Northern Ontario Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative be continued – if so how is this planned minus the NDHN?
Ms. Griffis also shared that the Board of Directors of the NDHN has established a Special Committee to develop a plan for the winding-up and dissolution of the NDHN, if details of this plan are released, OntarioNewsNorth.com will share them with readers.
In the meantime we strongly suggest readers visit the Northern Diabetes Health Network website at www.NDHN.org to learn of the scope of the services and programs being lost.
The sites of the 3 communities whose Diabetes funding comes directly from the NDHN:
- www.ManitouwadgeDiabetes.org;
- www.slktdiab.ca (Sioux Lookout Diabetes Program site);
- http://www.diabetesinformation.org/ (Diabetes Education Centre of Parry Sound and Area Communities) .
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