Local Health Integration Network
Text size:


Other Health Connections: 

Donna's Blog - small

Follow HNHB_LHINgage

Ontario Renal Network

Residents First

Excellent Care for All Act 2010

eHealth Ontario - EN

Epic Website

Button for Ontario Hospital Association

Button Health Care Connects

Button Your Health Care Options

Button for Patient Safety

Wait Times

Effectiveness Review

RJAP

Programs and Services for Older Adults

Trillium Organ Donor - EN

News Items from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care

DateTitle
Jan 20, 2011Media Release: Brantford General Hospital Seeing More Patients Sooner
Ontario is improving patient care at Brantford General Hospital by lowering emergency room wait times for key health services.
 
Jan 12, 2011Media Release: Improving Rural and Northern Health Care
Ontarians are being asked to provide their feedback on how to provide the best access to quality health care services in rural and northern areas of the province.
 
Jan 12, 2011Backgrounder: Rural and Northern Health Care Consultations
The Rural and Northern Health Care consultations will address the unique health care challenges being faced by Ontarians in rural and northern communities.
 
Dec 31, 2010Media Release: More Access to Health Care for Ontarians
There are now more ways than ever before for Ontarians to access the health care they need, closer to home.
 
Dec 22, 2010Media Release: Leading the Way in Cancer Care
Ontario’s investments in cancer care are producing results and have established the province as a global leader, according to a new international study.
 
Dec 2, 2010Media Release: Raising the Bar on Accountability
New rules in Ontario will prevent organizations funded with taxpayer dollars from using public funds to hire external lobbyists for the purpose of asking for more funding.
 
Dec 1, 2010Media Release: Stay Healthy and Get the Flu Shot
The Ontario government is encouraging Ontarians to avoid getting sick this flu season by getting their annual flu shot.
 
Nov 30, 2010Media Release: Ontario Changing OHIP Coverage For Vitamin D Testing
Ontario is following the advice of experts and will be funding vitamin D testing for patients where medical evidence indicates that there is a need.
 
Nov 30, 2010Media Release: Improving Ontario's Response to Public Health Emergencies
Ontario is taking action to strengthen and better coordinate the province’s response to future public health emergencies or events, like a pandemic.
 
Nov 30, 2010Backgrounder: Improving Ontario's Ability to Respond to Public Health Emergencies
Ontario is taking action to ensure more effective management of a future pandemic or other public health emergency.
 
Nov 1, 2010Media Release: Ontarians Have More Health Care Options Than Ever Before
With the simple click of a mouse or the touch of a smart phone, Ontarians can access the newly re-launched health care options web site and get to know the health care options in their communities better.
 
Nov 1, 2010Backgrounder: Knowing Your Health Care Options Better
Ontario has updated the Health Care Options website to make it even easier for Ontarians to learn about the health care options in their communities and avoid unnecessary visits to the emergency room.
 
Oct 28, 2010Media Release: Training More Doctors to Increase Access to Care
Ontario is increasing access to medical specialists — like surgeons and psychiatrists — by creating 75 specialty residency positions at the province’s medical schools.
 
Oct 28, 2010Backgrounder: More Medical Students, Better Training Facilities
Ontario is increasing access to doctors through a number of initiatives introduced since 2003.
 
Oct 20, 2010Media Release: Raising the Bar for Accountability and Transparency
Ontario is proposing strict new rules that would prevent organizations funded with taxpayer dollars from using public funds to hire external lobbyists to ask for more funding.
 
Oct 20, 2010Backgrounder: Taxpayer-Funded Lobbyists Banned In Ontario Public Sector
Legislation proposed today would, if passed, prohibit broader public sector organizations from using public funds to hire external lobbyists - ensuring that taxpayer money is used to deliver public services and programs instead of being wasted on outside lobbyists.
 
Oct 20, 2010Backgrounder: Broader Public Sector Procurement
The government is proposing new legislation to ensure fair, open and transparent procurement procedures in broader public sector (BPS) organizations.
 
Oct 20, 2010Backgrounder: Hospital Records Open To Public Scrutiny
Legislation proposed today would, if passed, improve the transparency and accountability of hospitals by making them subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) as of January 1, 2012.
 
Aug 27, 2010Media Release: Ontario Moving To Reduce Abuse Of Prescription Narcotics
Ontario is taking action to curb the growing abuse of prescription narcotics and controlled substances, including those containing oxycodone.
 
Aug 27, 2010Backgrounder: Narcotics Strategy
Ontario is launching a new strategy to address abuse of prescription narcotics and other controlled substances, and to ensure their safe and appropriate use by those who require pain management medication.
 
Aug 27, 2010Backgrounder: Rising Use and Abuse of Narcotics
The excessive use of prescription narcotics and controlled substances has emerged as a public health and safety issue in Canada, the United States and other jurisdictions around the world.
 
Aug 27, 2010Backgrounder: Narcotics Strategy: What Other People Are Saying
Read what other people are saying about the Narcotics Strategy.
 
Aug 24, 2010Media Release: New Family Health Teams Increasing Access to Care
Ontario is creating 30 new Family Health Teams across the province to provide better access to family health care.
 
Aug 24, 2010Backgrounder: Family Health Teams
Ontario is creating 30 new Family Health Teams across the province to provide better access to family health care.
 
Aug 23, 2010Media Release: More Nurse Practitioner Clinics Coming To Ontario
More patients in Ontario will have access to family health care thanks to 14 new Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics being created throughout the province.
 
Aug 23, 2010Backgrounder: Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics In Ontario
Ontario’s Family Health Care for All Strategy continues to focus on improving access to family health care and reducing the number of unattached patients through the creation of 25 Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics.
 
Jul 29, 2010Media Release: ER Wait Times Program Expands
Ontario is lowering emergency room wait times by expanding the Pay for Results program that has already helped hospitals across the province make significant wait time improvements.
 
Jul 29, 2010Backgrounder: Pay for Results Program
Ontario is lowering emergency room wait times by expanding the Pay for Results program that has already helped hospitals across the province make significant wait time improvements.
 
Jul 6, 2010Media Release: Ontarians Urged To Take Special Care During Heat Wave
Dr. Arlene King, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, is reminding Ontarians to take special care to prevent heat-related illness during the current heat wave in the province.
 
Jun 17, 2010Media Release: Ontario On Target for Surgical Wait Times
Ontario has achieved a major milestone in its efforts to reduce wait times. The latest data show provincial wait times for all surgical areas in the province are within target.
 
Jun 17, 2010Backgrounder: Ontario's Wait Time Strategy
Ontario now reports wait time information in more ways and more frequently than any other province in Canada.
 
Jun 7, 2010Media Release: Fair Drug Prices For All Ontarians
Ontario is lowering generic drug prices and making improvements to the province’s drug system to benefit all Ontarians.
 
Jun 7, 2010Backgrounder: Improving Ontario’s Drug System
Ontario has finalized its plans to ensure Ontarians pay a fair price for their generic prescription drugs and strengthen pharmacy services across the province.
 
Jun 7, 2010Fact Sheet: How You Will Benefit From Ontario’s Drug System Reforms
This document outlines how citizens will benefit from Ontario's drug system reforms.
 
Jun 3, 2010Media Release: Improving Health Care For All Ontarians
Ontario is putting patients first by improving the quality and accountability of the province’s health care system through new legislation. The Excellent Care for All Act was passed by the legislature today and upon Royal Assent will make health care providers and executives accountable for improving patient care.
 
Jun 2, 2010Media Release: Ontario Responded Well To H1N1 Pandemic Says Chief Medical Officer Of Health
Ontario responded well to the H1N1 pandemic but greater coordination and standardization is needed for future health emergencies, according to a new report from Dr. Arlene King, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health.
 
Jun 2, 2010Backgrounder: The H1N1 Pandemic – How Ontario Fared
Ontario’s preliminary assessment of rates of death and hospitalization shows the province’s rates were low relative to overall Canadian rates. Ontario’s immunization coverage is higher than that of most countries in the world. Every person who wanted a vaccine received one.
 
May 14, 2010Media Release: ER Nurses Improving Access to Care
Ontario is helping hospitals create more nursing positions dedicated to assisting patients who arrive in emergency rooms (ERs) by ambulance.
 
May 14, 2010Backgrounder: Ambulance Offload Nurse Initiative
The McGuinty government is providing a total of $9.6 million to 16 municipalities to hire nurses who are dedicated to receiving non-emergent patients who arrive in hospital emergency rooms by ambulance.
 
May 11, 2010Media Release: Creating More Opportunities For Nurses
Since 2003 the government has created more than 10,000 nursing positions and exceeded its goal of creating 900 nursing positions in 2009/10. Today, many of these nurses have received specialized training that allows them to provide a broader range of health services.
 
May 10, 2010Media Release: New Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics
Ontario is calling for applications for 14 new Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics as part of the government's commitment to increase access to family health care. The call for applications closes on June 25, 2010. The new clinics will be awarded in the summer of 2010.
 
May 6, 2010Media Release: Ontario Improving Access To Family Health Care
Ontario is calling for applications for 30 new Family Health Teams (FHTs), which will help increase access to family health care for Ontarians.
 
May 3, 2010Media Release: Improving Health Care for Ontarians
Ontario is proposing comprehensive new initiatives to improve the quality and accountability of the province’s health care system and ensure the needs of patients come first.
 
May 3, 2010Backgrounder: Proposed Excellent Care for All Act
Ontario is introducing the proposed Excellent Care for All Act that is intended to make health care providers and executives accountable for improving patient care.
 
May 3, 2010Backgrounder: Patient-Based Payment For Hospitals
Ontario will continue moving larger hospitals towards a patient-based funding payment model where hospitals are reimbursed based on the types and volumes of patients they treat.
 
Apr 20, 2010Media Release: Minister Speaking Directly to Ontarians
A new social media campaign to inform Ontarians about the government’s plans to get fair drug prices launched today.
 
Apr 7, 2010Media Release: Expanding Access To Affordable Drugs
Ontario plans to further reform the prescription drug system to provide better access to lower-cost generic drugs for patients, while continuing to increase annual funding to the drug system as a whole.
 
Apr 7, 2010Backgrounder: Reforming Ontario's Drug System
Ontario is further reforming the prescription drug system to ensure wider availability of more affordable drugs. The reforms would end professional allowances and more fairly compensate pharmacists for the valuable work they do.
 
Apr 7, 2010Fact Sheet: Ontario Drug System
Ontario Public Drug Programs (OPDP) funds over 4,000 brand and generic drugs for eligible residents of Ontario.  Pharmacists play an important role in dispensing these drugs and in providing support and clinical information to the patients.
 
Mar 5, 2010Media Release: Improving Access To Health Care
Ontario is improving access to health care with two new programs that will help communities that have traditionally had the hardest time recruiting doctors.
 
Mar 5, 2010Backgrounder: Increasing The Availability Of Doctors In Ontario
The Ontario government is introducing two new initiatives, the Northern and Rural Recruitment and Retention Initiative and the Postgraduate Return of Service Program, which will attract doctors to communities where they are needed.
 
Mar 5, 2010Backgrounder: Doctor Recruitment And Retention Program Consultations
The Ontario government held consultations on the proposed redesign of doctor recruitment and retention initiatives over the summer of 2009 and included stakeholders, communities and other partners.
 
Feb 5, 2010Backgrounder: Increasing Access to Modern Long-Term Care Homes
Ontario is modernizing 4,183 beds at 37 long-term care homes across the province. This backgrounder provides a breakdown of the beds being funded.
 
Feb 3, 2010Media Release: Increasing Access to Modern Long-Term Care Homes
Residents in long-term care homes can look forward to more modern and comfortable living as the province redevelops more than 4,100 beds across Ontario.
 
Feb 2, 2010Media Release: New Chair of eHealth Ontario Confirmed
Ontario has confirmed Raymond Hession as the new Chair of eHealth Ontario’s board of directors for a three-year term. The appointment, made by Order-In-Council, took effect February 1, 2010.
 
Jan 15, 2010Media Release: Enhancing Francophone Input Into Health Care Services
Ontario is giving the province’s francophone community more input into the planning and integration of French language health services in local communities. At least five new French language planning entities in regions across the province will be created through a new regulation under the Local Health System Integration Act.
 
Jan 15, 2010Backgrounder: Francophone Community Engagement Regulation
A new regulation under the Local Health System Integration Act will support coordinated, meaningful and effective engagement of francophone communities on health services. This regulation outlines how the ministry will select French language health planning entities to work with the 14 Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs).
 
Dec 1, 2009Media Release: New Law Increases Access to Health Care
Ontarians will soon have better access to health care and more choices in who provides it, as Bill 179 was passed Monday night with unanimous support. Upon proclamation, the bill will give nurse practitioners, pharmacists, physiotherapists and other health professionals the freedom to provide a wider range of health care services.
 
Dec 1, 2009Backgrounder: Improving Patient Care In Ontario
Ontario has passed Third Reading of Bill 179 that would improve access to health care for Ontarians by allowing care providers to use all of their training to perform their jobs and to work more effectively in teams.
 
Nov 12, 2009Media Release: Ontario Standing Up To Diabetes
Ontario is taking important steps that will enable more people with diabetes to live healthy lives, while reducing the number of people who develop the disease.
 
Nov 12, 2009Backgrounder: Diabetes Education Teams
This document identifies 51 new Diabetes Education Teams throughout the province.
 
Nov 12, 2009Backgrounder: Ontario Diabetes Strategy
The province is committed to providing Ontarians with diabetes, and those at risk, with more supports and services to help them stand up to diabetes.
 
Nov 10, 2009Media Release: Ontario Announces Finalists for Health Care Innovation Awards
Ontario is celebrating innovations in health care with its fourth annual showcase of original initiatives that are delivering better patient care across the province. Presented by HealthAchieve, in partnership with the Government of Ontario, the award winners will be announced at the Celebrating Innovations in Health Care Expo on Nov. 18 in Toronto.
 
Nov 10, 2009Backgrounder: Celebrating Innovations In Health Care Expo 2009 Finalists
Celebrating Innovations in Health Care Expo 2009 showcases some of the leading initiatives underway in support of Ontario’s health care system. More than 200 exhibitors will promote creative ideas to address important health care issues.
 
Oct 21, 2009Media Release: Ontario Will Offer H1N1 Vaccine On October 26
Beginning the week of Oct. 26, adjuvanted H1N1 flu vaccine will be offered to all Ontarians that need and want it.
 
Oct 21, 2009Backgrounder: H1N1 Vaccine Delivery Logistics in Ontario
Public health officials in Ontario are undertaking rapid deployment of the new H1N1 vaccine to all corners of the province, as part of phase two of this year’s immunization program.
 
Oct 16, 2009Media Release: Ontario Takes Additional Steps To Reduce H1N1 Transmission
Ontario has issued updated guidance documents to the province’s health care sector including ambulatory care settings like doctors’ offices, long-term care settings and emergency departments which set out recommendations for managing flu cases.
 
Oct 1, 2009Media Release: Hospitals To Use Surgical Safety Checklist
Ontario is enhancing patient safety by requiring all hospitals to use a surgical safety checklist, beginning in January 2010.
 
Sep 24, 2009Media Release: Ontario Announces Flu Shot Rollout for Seasonal and H1N1 Vaccines
Ontario will provide seasonal flu shots to people aged 65 and over and residents of long-term care homes in October, followed by the H1N1 flu vaccination program for all Ontarians. Seasonal flu vaccine will be available to the rest of the province following the H1N1 flu vaccination program.
 
Sep 24, 2009Backgrounder: Ontario's Flu Vaccine Strategy
Ontario will immunize people 65 years of age and older and residents of long-term care homes, with seasonal flu vaccine first. Ontario will offer the rest of the province’s population the H1N1 vaccine beginning in November followed by a universal influenza immunization program with the seasonal flu vaccine in the months following.
 
Sep 9, 2009Media Release: Ontario Helping Every Household Fight The Flu
This fall and winter, there will be two types of flu viruses circulating – seasonal flu viruses and the H1N1 flu virus. The seasonal flu vaccine and the H1N1 flu vaccine will be made available this Fall.
 
Sep 3, 2009Media Release: Ontario Is Ready For Upcoming Flu Season Says Chief Medical Officer of Health
Ontario is well prepared for the upcoming flu season according to a new report from Dr. Arlene King, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health.
 
Sep 1, 2009New Regional Rehabilitation Centre Will Enhance Patient Care
A new regional Rehabilitation Centre opens today at the Hamilton General Hospital campus of Hamilton Health Sciences.
 
Aug 28, 2009Systems for Success: Issue 1 - Summer 2009
Systems for Success is your quarterly window into the world of the Community Care Information Management (CCIM) Business Systems projects.
 
Aug 25, 2009Celebrating Innovations in Health Care Expo
Presented by HealthAchieve in partnership with the Government of Ontario, Celebrating Innovations in Health Care Expo will showcase initiatives driving health care system renewal in Ontario. Deadline for entries is September 30, 2009.
 
Aug 25, 2009Media Release: Project to Develop New St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton Campus Attracts Industry Interest
Infrastructure Ontario and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton announce the companies short-listed to design, build, finance and maintain a new campus at the West 5th Street site.
 
Aug 25, 2009Backgrounder: Project to Develop New St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton Campus
Infrastructure Ontario and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton announce the companies short-listed to design, build, finance and maintain a new campus at the West 5th Street site.
 
Jul 30, 2009Health Horizon Issue 6 - July 2009
Health Horizon has been designed by the Health System Strategy Division of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to provide decision makers with a high-level survey of research news and developments in health systems around the world.  Their goal is to identify innovations and emerging trends that are relevant to Ontario’s health system that can inform strategy development, policy development and planning.
 
Jul 28, 2009Media Release: Rural and Northern Health Panel Takes Shape
Ontario has officially announced the members of the new Rural and Northern Health Care Panel. The panel will provide recommendations to the government on how to better coordinate the delivery of health care services in Ontario’s rural and northern areas.
 
Jul 28, 2009Backgrounder: Members of Ontario’s Rural and Northern Health Care Panel
Ontario has officially announced the members of the new Rural and Northern Health Care Panel. The panel’s members represent a broad range of stakeholders and health care professionals who will draw on their experiences working in rural and northern areas of Ontario. 
 
Jul 21, 2009Media Release: 800,000 More Ontarians Find a Family Doctor
Ontario is giving people the ability to register online to find a family doctor.The online service - being offered through Health Care Connect - is the next step in the McGuinty government’s plan to increase access to family health care. The most recent data shows that approximately 800,000 more Ontarians have a family doctor now than in 2003.
 
Jul 14, 2009Media Release: Ontario Releases Mental Health and Addictions Discussion Paper
Ontario has released a discussion paper, Every Door is the Right Door to contribute to the development of a 10-year mental health and addictions strategy.
 
Jul 14, 2009Backgrounder: Mental Health And Addictions
The Minister of Health and Long-Term Care has established an Advisory Group on Mental Health and Addictions to provide advice on overall direction and priorities for a 10-year provincial strategy. The Group is responsible for the creation of the discussion paper, Every Door is the Right Door.
 
Jun 24, 2009Media Release: Ontario Adding New Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics
The Ontario government issues a call for applications for eight more Nurse Practitioner-led clinics. The addition of these clinics will improve access to family health care.
 
Jun 22, 2009Ontario Improving Access to Family Health Care
 
Jun 18, 2009Media Release: Ontario is National Leader in Reducing Health Wait Times
Ontario earned top marks for meeting performance targets in reducing wait times in five areas, according to a new annual report card issued by the Wait Time Alliance (WTA).
 
Apr 30, 2009Backgrounder: Reporting C. difficle Rates in Hospitals
Ontario is requiring all hospitals to monitor and report CDAD in their facilities so the most appropriate infection prevention and control measures can be put in place. CDAD rates are published on the ministry website monthly.
 
Apr 30, 2009Backgrounder: Reporting MRSA and VRE Bacteraemia Rates in Hospitals
Ontario is requiring all hospitals to monitor and report MRSA and VRE bacteraemia cases in their facilities so the most appropriate infection prevention and control measures can be put in place. These rates are published on the ministry website quarterly.
 
Apr 28, 2009Health Horizon Issue 5 - April 2009
Health Horizon has been designed by the Health System Strategy Division of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to provide decision makers with a high-level survey of research news and developments in health systems around the world.  Their goal is to identify innovations and emerging trends that are relevant to Ontario’s health system that can inform strategy development, policy development and planning.
 
Jan 20, 2009Health Horizon Issue 4 - January 2009
Health Horizon has been designed by the Health System Strategy Division of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to provide decision makers with a high-level survey of research news and developments in health systems around the world.  Their goal is to identify innovations and emerging trends that are relevant to Ontario’s health system that can inform strategy development, policy development and planning. 
 
Oct 20, 2008Wait Time Strategy Expands!
McGuinty Government sets most aggressive general surgery targets in Canada
 
Oct 20, 2008New Wait Times Strategy Allocations by Hospital
Through the province’s Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs), Ontario is investing $11.64 million this year for an additional 8,240 general surgery procedures such as gallbladder removal, hernia repairs and intestinal surgeries.
 
Oct 20, 2008New Wait Times Strategy Allocations by LHIN
Through the province’s Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs), Ontario is investing $11.64 million this year for an additional 8,240 general surgery procedures such as gallbladder removal, hernia repairs and intestinal surgeries. 
 
Oct 20, 2008General Surgery Wait Time Data
This document provides data on the wait time for general surgeries as of Oct 17, 2008. 
 
Oct 20, 2008Wait Times Targets
Ontario is establishing the most aggressive wait time access targets for general, orthopaedic and ophthalmic surgeries in the country. This backgrounder outlines these targets.
 
Oct 2, 2008Ontario Integrates e-Health Activities Under One Agency
Ontario has appointed Dr. Alan Hudson as the Chair of eHealth Ontario, a restructured agency responsible for all aspects of e-health in Ontario including creating an electronic health record for all Ontarians. eHealth Ontario will bring together the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s e-Health Program and the province’s Smart Systems for Health Agency (SSHA) under one banner.
 
Sep 8, 2008Personal Support Workers in Long -Term Care Homes Revised
This chart clarifies details on funding and the resulting hours of personal support for long-term care homes.  It replaces the chart published on August 19, 2008, and includes revisions made on September 8, 2008.
 
Aug 19, 2008Personal Support Worker Allocations Backgrounder
Ontario is providing $23.3 million to support the creation of 873 personal support worker (PSW) positions in long-term care homes this year. This document shows the allocations for each LHIN.  
 
Aug 19, 2008PSW Allocations for the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brand LHIN
 
Aug 19, 2008Increasing Direct Daily Care in LTC Homes
Ontario is providing $23.3 million to support the creation of 873 personal support worker positions in long-term care homes. This will increase the average paid hours of direct daily care per resident to 3.26 hours this year of nursing, personal support and programming.
 
Jun 20, 2008Media release: Funding for Aging at Home and Vans
Standing in front of new Dodge Caravans that will provide area seniors with rides to appointments, George Smitherman, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, today announced a series of local Aging at Home initiatives which are receiving more than $6.7 million this year.Van announcement BACKGROUNDERAAH Initiatives Summary BACKGROUNDER 
 
Jun 20, 2008Van announcement BACKGROUNDER
 The Ontario government is buying 100 new Dodge Caravans from Windsor’s Chrysler Plant to provide Ontario seniors with health-related transportation services. The Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network (HNHB LHIN) is receiving 8 vans which will provide an estimated 11,104 rides to appointments for local seniors over the course of a year.
 
Jul 27, 2007LHINs Announce Availability of Health System Improvement Pre-Proposal Form
BULLETIN The Health System Improvement Pre-Proposal (H-SIP) process has been developed collectively by Ontario Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) to facilitate and standardize the way health system improvement requests are submitted to LHINs. It allows for a simplified summary of the proposed initiative and mini
 
May 22, 2007Ontario Government Reducing Health Care Wait Times
New data shows the Ontario government’s Wait Time Strategy is resulting in decreases in wait times for key health services in the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) area, Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman announced today.