Our health unit could merge with another within the next year.
The Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPR) is exploring a possible merger with Peterborough Public Health. HKPR officials say that’s to access one-time provincial funding, resources, and supports for public health agencies that voluntarily merge.
However, to get that funding, the merger would need to be done by Jan. 1, 2025. Officials say the agencies will go through a provincial pre-assessment process over the coming months to see how it would impact services, with a decision expected early next year.
“Public health’s primary reason for being is to improve the overall standard of health in the community being served,” said David Marshall, HKPR Board of Health Chair. “Doing so goes a long way to relieve the tremendous strain currently being borne by our downstream health sector and those people working within it. If there is a way to strengthen our ability to improve these health standards it is our responsibility to investigate it.”
The two agencies had last looked at potentially sharing services in 2019.