Paramedic Services Week 2022

May 22-28th, 2022, marks Paramedic Services Week. This year’s theme is #FacesofParamedicine. This week allows us to reflect and appreciate the paramedics who work every day to keep us and our communities healthy.

“On behalf of the DTSSAB Board, I would like to recognize all of our paramedics, this week and every week,” says DTSSAB Board Chair, Derek Mundle, “We are truly grateful for their contribution to the health and well-being of our communities. The services you provide is one that we all hope we never have to access, but that we take comfort in knowing we can count on you, should an emergency occur.”

This past year has seen the continued resilience of DTSSAB paramedics as they pivoted through the changing mandates and protocols of the pandemic. It saw the Leadership restructuring of the service, as well as the growth of the service through the welcome addition of the Off-Road Response Unit and Community Paramedicine program.

“Our paramedics form a team that I am honoured to lead,” said EMS Chief, John McCarthy, “they are dedicated to supporting the health of our community, through their dedication on duty, continued volunteering outside of regular duties, and constant push to expand their knowledge and skill base.”

The delivery of paramedicine requires a team including dispatch, training, logistics, specialities, and much more. The DTSSAB wishes to celebrate all paramedics and support staff that make up DTSSAB EMS as we graciously serve the district.

Municipal Reimbursement for Northern Fire Services

On March 19th, the province announced a new program, through the Northern Fire Protection Program, to reimburse municipalities that provide fire protection services in unincorporated areas. These funds will help northern municipalities recover costs associated with responses in areas without fire protection services such as search and rescue, medical, motor vehicle collision, and property fires that are not covered by any other funding agreements.

“This is welcome news for Timiskaming,” says Chair Derek Mundle. “In the past, local fire services have incurred significant costs for participating in search and rescue missions in remote areas without fire protection. Such significant costs can have a detrimental effect on the budgets of smaller fire services and the municipalities as a whole."

The program will be administered by Ontario’s Office of the Fire Marshal. The types of calls that are eligible for reimbursement include:

• Structure fires and carbon monoxide-related incidents

• Search and rescue operations and emergency medical care

• Motor vehicle collisions occurring on roads that are not provincial highways

• Hazardous material requests

Local fire services can possess an immense amount of knowledge and expertise in regards to assisting OPP and EMS to locate, access and assist ill and injured patients when located in the remote areas of our District. The DTSSAB EMS looks forward to strengthening our partnerships with local fire services in the best interest of providing care to individuals in need throughout our District.

“We were pleased to see this announcement and are grateful for the advocacy efforts of Danny Whalen on behalf of FONOM, John Vanthof’s office, and James Township in bringing this issue to the forefront with the Province” said DTSSAB Chair Derek Mundle.

The DTSSAB announces appointment of new CAO, Mark Stewart

On behalf of the DTSSAB Board of Directors, I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Stewart to the position of Chief Administrative Officer for the District of Timiskaming Social Services Administration Board effective March 21, 2022.

Mark’s appointment reflects the Board’s confidence in his ability to lead the organization in achieving success with current and future initiatives. Mark’s commitment to leadership, his perseverance to ensure the needs of individuals we serve are met, as well as his professionalism, open communication, and integrity are all essential qualities for this important role.

Mark is a familiar face to many, as he has been an integral part of the DTSSAB’s Senior Leadership team as Director of Client Services over the past fifteen years, supporting effective DTSSAB Board and Senior Leadership decisions. Mark has demonstrated progressive leadership skills throughout his 23-year career at DTSSAB, having worked within the human services sector for 25 years.

Our Board believes that Mark’s dedication to the organization, his experience and knowledge of our programs and services, his community partnerships, as well as his leadership qualities position him for working effectively with management and staff to deliver on plans which are in line with our Vision, Mission and Values.

As Mark prepares to begin his new responsibilities, the leadership role of Director of Client Services will be recruited promptly.

On behalf of the Board, I would like to congratulate Mark on his new role and extend our deepest gratitude to Kelly Black for her steadfast leadership as CAO since 2019.

We look forward to working with Mark in this new capacity and ask you to join me in welcoming Mark as your new Chief Administrative Officer.

Derek Mundle

Chair, DTSSAB Board of Directors

The DTSSAB announces funding for the launch of Community Paramedicine Long-Term Care

The DTSSAB is pleased to announce the district is receiving funding in the amount of $2.5 million dollars from the Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care for the development and delivery of the Community Paramedicine Long-Term Care (CPLTC).

The DTSSAB has been delivering the Community Paramedicine High Intensity Program since March of 2021 which has had a positive impact in our communities for the health and well-being of our patients. The funding through the CPLTC is to be disbursed over 2.5 years ending in March 2024 and will be used for the creation of the delivery of Community Paramedicine program, specifically addressing the needs of long-term care patients building on the success of the High Intensity program.

The ability for DTSSAB EMS to provide care to long-term care patients within their home will benefit the district’s entire health care system through reduced 911 calls, emergency room visits, hospital admissions, and stabilization of long-term care waitlists. The increased integration between home, community, and primary care can also help bring peace of mind and a sense of stability to individuals, families and caregivers who are waiting for long-term care placement. The Community Paramedicine Long-Term Care Program’s intention is to work in collaboration with existing practitioners to enable management of chronic health conditions at home, hopefully minimizing instances of patients going into crisis. In the future, this program may also include the use of Remote Patient Monitoring, which will increase the capacity of patients the program can undertake.

The delivery of the CPLTC will reflect the collaboration and partnership between the DTSSAB EMS and Home and Community Care who will determine eligibility of individuals for the CPLTC making referrals to the DTSSAB EMS for receipt of services.

“The DTSSAB is grateful to the Province for the funding allocation for the delivery of the CPLTC within the district of Timiskaming” states DTSSAB Chair Derek Mundle. “The delivery of CPLTC will make a difference in the lives of many residents in our communities”.

The DTSSAB EMS is presently in the process of recruiting additional community paramedics to support the additional patient caseload. The DTSSAB anticipates having the CPLTC ready for roll out by April 2022. The program is being tailored to be maximally effective for the Timiskaming District to assist as many patients as possible.