Don Mitchell and his group have a mammoth task ahead of them. As the Chair of the Muskoka & Area Health System Transformation Council (MAHST) Mitchell knows all eyes will be on his team as it embarks on an analysis and transformation of health care as we know it in this area.
But he has a request.
As we start to get organized I hope people have the patience to let us get together and start to jell before they look too critically at what we’re up to. I think we’re going to show some really good results. We are shooting for that March 2017th date.
Don Mitchell, Chair of MAHST
“I’m confident that what’s going to happen is the people of Muskoka are going to be excited about what’s transpiring,” he added.
What MAHST’s aim will be
By sometime next year, the group, appointed by the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network, which is responsible for health care in this area and responds directly to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, is hoping to come up with a winning formula. That formula is expected to address administrative duplication, integrate existing resources and ease the financial burden on this area’s beleaguered health care system, while ensuring that the proper medical services are available at the right time.
“The key thing is obviously to come up with a system that is really going to maximize the value of the money that is being spent in Muskoka and area. So saving money is one thing, but really what we want to do is convert it so that person who needs the care – we want the right care to be in the right place at the right time,” he noted.
Mitchell also spoke about the importance of technology to aid in the delivery of health care and the need to make the system more flexible. “We have to have the ability to move things around based on the problems that we’re facing at that point in time.”
Muskoka is being given an opportunity: Mitchell
He knows the exercise will be monumental but he’s not shying from it, in fact, he’s excited by the idea that Muskoka has an opportunity to manifest its own health care destiny.
We’re being given an opportunity to do something that everyone else is going to have to do sooner or later… So if we can do it in a smaller setting first and kind of get the bugs worked out of it, it would make an excellent prototype to be used elsewhere. Mitchell
What about our hospitals?
In terms of the concerns expressed in various community circles about the idea of closing both the Huntsville and Bracebridge hospitals in exchange for constructing one new hospital somewhere between the two, as is being proposed by the board of Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC), which manages both hospitals, Mitchell had this to say: “The jury is still out. There is no decision that has been made. At this point in time what we do know is that there is a proposal that’s been put forward and certainly that proposal has met with opposition.”
Everything is on the table
He said what it comes down to is the concept of treating health care as a “basket of health services” that are going to be delivered in the community and how to best deliver those.“How health care is delivered in the future may be completely different than what it’s going to be today. Everything that is involved in the delivery of an integrated health care system is on the table.”
He said one of the biggest challenges will be to inform the community and to get them to buy into a possible solution. “The fact of the matter is it’s all about ownership and really what we’re trying to do with this council is, ‘OK Muskoka we own this and everybody has got to be in it together.”
There’ll be some surprise announcements
His council will rely heavily on those who have key experience in the health care system. Mitchell also said he’s stoked about the people who will be serving with him as well as the council’s co-chair, who he said will be announced shortly. “When the co-chair is announced there should be a lot of excitement,” he said. “I’m excited about who’s coming to help.”
A bit about Mitchell
Don Mitchel is pictured here spending time with his granddaughter.
His family has been cottaging in the Burk’s Falls and Huntsville area for many years. Mitchell, 63, moved to Huntsville from Mississauga seven years ago. He teaches project management at Humber College and runs his own business consulting firm, Muskoka Coaching, which specializes in business improvement. He says his role is to work with people in business to help them get things done. He’s been part of the board of the North Simcoe Muskok Local Health Integration Network as well as being involved with Muskoka Futures and Muskoka Community Network. He lives on Fairy Lake with his wife who is a real estate agent with Sutton Group Muskoka Realty Inc. in Huntsville and he’s got two grown children living outside of the community. His two sisters and brother-in-law also live in Huntsville. Mitchell said that one of his favourite past times is boating. His favourite television show? Suits, he said and laughed.
Mitchell knows what lies ahead is a big challenge, but said he’s passionate about it. “We’re going to do the best we can for everybody in Muskoka and area,” he concluded.
For more on MAHST check out this link.
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Hope he does what is best for the residents of East Parry Sound/Almaguin as well. Those of us in Magnetawan and living North of Huntsville have concerns that Muskoka is the main concern. We already lost Burk’s Falls Hospital. Parry Sound is not a stroke centre. Moving services further south could have severe negative impacts on our healthcare.
Hello Dave, we’ll find out which are paid positions.
As a tax payer, and I imagine all of the high tax paying Muskoka residents, would really like to know what Don is getting paid for this job.??