LHINs at Five Years – What Now?

Abstract

Trying to predict the future is always dangerous. At the inception of Ontario’s local health integration networks (LHINs), I wrote two pieces for Longwoods – “Local Health Integration Networks: Will ‘Made in Ontario’ Work?” (Ronson 2006) and a commentary on an article submitted by the LHIN chief executives, “Integrated Health Service Plans: From Planning to Action” (Ronson 2007). Looking back five years, how did I do? And, more importantly, how have LHINs done and where do we go from here? I gave the LHINs and their constituent healthcare organizations three years to prove themselves effective – failing which, I predicted major changes after the 2007 Ontario provincial election. I was wrong. It is now 2011, and the basic 14 LHIN construct with independent healthcare organizations funded by them remains in place. However, perhaps only my timing was off. Tim Hudak and his Progressive Conservative Party, currently leading in the polls, have said that LHINs are toast should they form a government this fall. Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals are also unhappy with current performance of the healthcare system and the inability to get better value for money.