June 25, 2025
The South East Health Unit (SEHU) Board of Health met today in Kingston for the regular monthly meeting. The agenda package is available online.
Merger update
A progress update on merger activities was provided to the Board and can be reviewed in the agenda package. The merger work is being done in parallel with the program work of public health. Areas of significant merger work include, but are not limited to:
- Selection of branding (logo and tagline etc.) for the merged agency, which will be publicly unveiled in early fall.
- Progress on organizational design which will see all program staff assigned to their teams by the end of June and reporting to their new managers in September.
- Development of a Program Harmonization Planner to ensure that the strengths of each legacy organization are considered.
- Evaluation of enterprise resource programs to integrate finance and HR into one system, as well as separate systems for accounting, payroll and human resources functions.
- Work towards a common Microsoft system for the organization with an anticipated go-live date of fall 2025.
Climate Change Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment
The Board received the executive summary of the Climate Change Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment (CCHVAA) produced by the legacy agencies: Hastings Prince Edward Public Health; Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health; and Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit. Findings from the CCHVAA indicate that climate change is increasing the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme weather events and these events pose significant health risks, from respiratory and skin irritation to hospitalization, cancer, and death.
Although the SEHU region has experienced fewer extreme weather events, it is projected to face more frequent occurrences of extreme heat, wildfires, and flooding. Additionally, Lyme disease and skin cancer are of great concern in the SEHU region, where incidence rates exceed the provincial average and are expected to worsen as the climate continues to change.
The results of the CCHVAA will inform the development of a comprehensive action plan to integrate climate change strategies into public health programming. This initiative will be guided by three key pillars: population health assessment and surveillance, health promotion, and health protection. The action plan will include a climate change monitoring and evaluation component aimed at strengthening capacity and resilience through education, knowledge sharing and collaboration. It will guide responses to future climate change trends and risks, while prioritizing health equity.
Governance Committee update
The Board approved two policies: the Self-Evaluation Policy and the Risk Intelligence Policy. The Self-Evaluation Policy outlines the process that the Board will follow to conduct a self-evaluation process of its governance practices every two years, and to address any recommendations that are made for improvement in Board effectiveness.
As outlined in the Risk Intelligence Policy, all significant risks (medium and high) facing the Health Unit will be assessed and appropriate mitigation strategies identified (prevention, early detection, recovery/corrective), and risks will be reviewed annually by the Board of Health. The risk management framework is available for review in the Board package.
Meetings
The next meeting of the Board is July 23, 2025. There will be no meeting in August.
-30-
Media contact
Maureen Hyland, Communications Specialist
hyland.maureen@hpeph.ca
