HPE OHT Confirmed as Lower Limb Preservation Integrated Care Program

Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) provide an excellent opportunity for the establishment of integrated clinical pathways which are the foundation for value-based care through enabling shared care accountability, effective patient, client and caregiver transitions between health and human services providers, and health information exchange. Integrated clinical pathways as defined by Ontario Health (OH) are expected patient, client and caregiver trajectories for a disease or condition through the health system and related human services.

One integrated clinical pathway identified is related to lower limb preservation which is in response to Ontario’s high rate of lower limb amputations, specifically here in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties. OH has recognized the opportunity to advance lower limb preservation care in Ontario through the provision of person centered, integrated, and coordinated care across the continuum for people with diabetes and peripheral vascular disease. To advance lower limb preservation care, OH has introduced a two-year Lower Limb Preservation Integrated Care Program.

In mid-February 2023, HPE OHT was one of a handful of OHTs selected to submit an action plan that required the OHT to identify gaps in care related to lower-limb amputation, subsequent change initiatives to help address the identified gaps and identification of resources along with a budget to support.

A working group of committed and passionate partners from across our OHT and Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) worked together to coordinate, plan and execute the writing and submission. Earlier this week, OH issued confirmation that the plan submitted by HPE OHT was confirmed and approved. HPE OHT, through Quinte Health serving as the Transfer Payment Recipient (TPR) will receive $180,000 in one-time in-year funding to support the work with further developments in year two.

The OHT recognizes the dedication and hard work of the provincial Lower Limb Preservation Team and regional Ontario Health partners who have provided tremendous support and guidance throughout this process.

“I am so pleased that all of the work that we went through to answer all of Ontario Health’s questions and respond to all of their ‘information gathering prompts’ was recognized.  We are all so pleased that the HPE OHT LLP Action Plan can now be implemented in our area.  My late husband’s journey through all of the precursors to leg amputation gave me some insight into this problem.  Each patient has their own journey, but now there will be consistent help for all individuals who find themselves on this path.  A big thank you goes out to the OHT for making this happen.” – Phyllis Davis – Patient, Client and Partner Representative. The HPE OHT looks forward to continuing this important work with co-design, distributed leadership, trust and transparency and courage and innovation being top of mind.