Day 2 - Monday June 11

	8:30 - 9:30 A.M - Welcoming Remarks and Keynote Address Delegates were welcomed to the 2007 alPHa Conference by alPHa President Liana Nolan, Windsor-Essex Medical Officer of Health G. Allen Heimann, Councillor Ken Lewenza Jr. (on behalf of Mayor Eddie Francis) and Mr. Nelson Santos, Mayor of Kingsville. The Keynote Address was given by the Deputy Minister of Health Promotion, Marg Rappolt followed by a plenary on Cancer and the Environment and a panel discussion on LHINs and Public Health.
Deputy Minister of Health Promotion Marg Rappolt	8:45-9:30 - Keynote Address:  Innovations in Collaboration Deputy Minister Marg Rappolt gave the day's Keynote Address - Innovations in Collaboration - which illustrated that the design and concept of programs at Ministry of Health Promotion have been largely the result of collaboration and partnerships, with input from the field to ensure strong practice. She summarized accomplishments over the last two years of the Ministry of Health Promotion, acknowledging the enormous contributions of former CMOH Sheela Basrur and Acting CMOH George Pasut to the formation of the MHP's mandate and execution of its activities. She referred to several accomplishments supported by collaborative approaches, beginning with the Interministerial Committee on Health Promotion, which includes 9-10 cabinet ministers with a broad range of social and economic mandates. The Healthy Schools initiative was one of the first to involve the breadth of these mandates. She also described the recent Northern Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program (a partnership of the Porcupine Health Unit, the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association and the local Board of Education), which is set to be evaluated this summer. More familiar initiatives covered included the passage of the Smoke-Free Ontario Act (whose foundations were laid by local health authorities) and the Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL) Strategy, which is being implemented through a range of partnerships, supported in part by the Communities in Action Fund, which distributed $7.5M to 14 organizations this year to improve access to physical activity. She expressed confidence that the structures, mandates and partnerships that are now supporting the upstream approach to health will remain in place for the long-term.
Deb Keen, Linda Stewart and John Wellner	9:30-10:15 - Plenary – Cancer and the Environment Deb Keen (Director, Prevention Unit, Cancer Care Ontario) and John Wellner (Director, Health Policy, Ontario Medical Association) presented an overview of environmental (i.e. contaminants of air, water and soil) along with a description of the mandate and activities of the Cancer and the Environment Stakeholder Group. There was also discussion of the Precautionary Principle, as it applies to known/probable carcinogens and the likelihood of average personal exposure. The goal of the approach is toxic use reduction through awareness, substitutions, pollution and need reduction, assistance & legislation. Delegates were invited to give feedback on whether or not the Stakeholder Group is on the right track, what impact the approach has on the work of health units and what specific roles they might play. The ensuing discussion revealed that several PHUs are involved in this issue, even if indirectly, (local incinerators, coal-fired generators, smog issues were examples), but the relationships between public opinion, politics, economics and scientific evidence need to be fully examined and properly communicated in order to formulate a public health - based approach. Presentation: Cancer and the Environment in Ontario  CANCER 2020 report.
Karen Lukic and LHIN Panel Members lead by example during fitness break	10:35-12:00 - Panel Discussion -  Local Health Integration Networks and Public Health. Panel Members: Gary Switzer (CEO-Erie-St.Clair LHIN), Scott McLeod (Senior Director – Mississauga Halton LHIN), Alex Hukowich (Board Member, Central East LHIN), Larry O’Connor (Mayor of Brock, HSSC Durham), Megan Ward (AMOH PEEL); Allan Northan (MOH Algoma). Click here for background and biographies. Each panel member was invited to give a brief introduction prior to the discussion: Gary Switzer referred to the MHP Vision of a Health Care System that helps people stay healthy; care for people when they get sick and that will be there for their children and grand children. He pointed out that the first of these (health promotion) is not part of the LHIN mandate, and pointed out the irony of hospitals that raise revenues by providing space to fast food retailers. Scott McLeod reiterated the difference between a health care system and a health system, pointing out that the continuum of care doesn’t fall within the LHIN administration. He also conveyed that LHIN boundaries were drawn according to where people seek health care, which explains why Mississauga-Halton incorporates pieces of three Public Health Units.  He finished by itemizing key priorities (e.g. integration of mental health services, strengthening life-cycle specific care etc.), which are linked to the roles of public health. Alex Hukowich disclosed his long-time involvement with alPHa and its predecessors, and assured members that while the mandate does not refer specifically to them, the work of LHINs is very much informed by the philosophies of health promotion and disease prevention, focussed on wellness rather than sickness. He illustrated his points with several amusing pictures of farm animals. He also advised that partnerships are essential, as LHINs are intended to be more transparent, validated by openly sharing information, in part by taking decision making out of the "black box" of government. His key message was that the public health community should not be stepping back and avoiding LHINs, but rather embracing opportunities to engage with them. Larry O'Connor continued on the theme of collaboration and pointed out that LHINS are informed by “collaboratives” that are meant to provide local input on a range of issues (access to care, health surveillace, mental health and addictions, chronic disease prevention, etc.) to the larger LHIN. The challenge to public health will be to seek out opportunities to deliver its own messages while ensuring that they don't get lost in the mix.  Megan Ward affirmed the usefulness of the round-tables in sharing information about the health care system as administered by the LHINs, especially where complications involved in coordinating the various elements were discussed, within the context of shared visions, goals and objectives.   Allan Northan further illustrated the point that the LHINs are indeed working from a vision of maintaining wellness, even though its primary function is the funding of care services. The LHIN has identified two categories of stakeholder to support this vision: funded health serveces and non-funded critical partners.  The tenor of the discussion that followed was generally receptive of the idea that public health should have collaborative functional partnerships with their LHINs. Capacity, relevance, structure, size and jurisdictions were raised as confounding factors to such collaboration, though it was cautioned that such difficulties should not be used as reasons not to establish relationships. Alex Hukowich speculated that the key outcome would be increased community engagement as a critical step in improving wellness at the local level. LHINs can therefore be seen as a means to integrate and align local services along the health continuum, which will by definition contribute to improvements in population health, by putting discussion and decision making into the hands of boards that are not concerned exclusively with budgets and fiscal efficiencies.  The most positive outcomes for population health are much more likely if public health ensures that it is at every table possible to make this system work.
	1:00 - 1:45 alPHa Annual Business Meeting AGENDA   MINUTES
	1:45 - 5:30 Concurrent Meetings of alPHa's Council of Ontario Medical Officers of Health, Board of Health and  Affiliate Sections. Presentations: Wet (Solvent Free) Cleaning  - Presentation to Board of Health Section Canadian Pandemic Influenza Preparedness – A Changing Paradigm - Presentation to COMOH Other information for these business meetings will be distributed to members of the sections in the usual manner.

18:30 - 11:00 PM - Presidents' Reception and Awards Dinner at the Windsor Art Gallery

After a long day (and year) of business, delegates assembled at the nearby Windsor Art Gallery for the President's Reception (sponsored by Mosey and Mosey Benefits Consultants), a special address by former Chief Medical Officer of Health Sheela Basrur and the annual Distinguished Service Awards Dinner.

Dr. Sheela Basrur asked for an opportunity to share some personal and professional reflections prior to the alPHa Distinguished Awards Dinner. A definite highlight of the conference, we all welcomed the chance to hear Dr. Basrur speak again as much as she welcomed the opportunity to rejoin her friends and colleagues in public health, after what has been a challenging year for her and her family. Her remarks underscored the celebratory feel of the event, speaking of the enormous accomplishments public health has made over the past twenty years, and reassuring all present that with the proper commitment, optimism and patience, many more are on the horizon. Please click here for the Windsor Star's coverage.

Dr. Sheela Basrur (far right) with (l-r) sister Jyothi, father Dr. Vasanth Basrur, and mother Dr. Parvathi Basrur at the alPHa Distinguished Service Awards Dinner

President's Reception at the Gallery Entrance	A fine dinner in the Gallery's main hall	Dinner and a sunset on the Detroit River
Dr. Penny Sutcliffe (l) accepting the alPHa Fitness Challenge award on behalf of the Sudbury & District Health Unit	Gil Hebert (l-BOH - Porcupine) accepting his DSA from incoming alPHa President Vance Blackmore (r-BOH - Middlesex London)	Dale Jackson (r-AOPHBA) accepting his DSA from Don West (l-AOPHBA-Porcupine)
Jim Paton (l-ASPHIO - Grey-Bruce) receiving his DSA from Ken Gorman (r-ASPHIO - Durham)	Dr. Pete Sarsfield (l-MOH - Northwestern) receiving DSA from Dr. Graham Pollett (r-MOH-Middlesex London)	Dr. Sheela Basrur receiving her DSA from outgoing alPHa President Dr. Liana Nolan (r-MOH Waterloo)

Day 3 - Tuesday, June 12

	8:00 - 8:30 Plenary Presentation - Public Health Information and Information Technology Cindy Myers gave a brief overview of PHIIT, which was launched in the Summer of 2004, with a view to improving communication and collaboration among health providers.   Several virtual communities are currently accessible upon registry for “special interest groups”. It includes discussion forums (including the capacity for users to start new ones) and a "Public Health Common", where the latest alerts and protocols can be found. Other features include:   Publication facility for distribution of communications Collaboration tool for centralized work spaces Surveys and polls Web page presence Meeting and e-Learning tools Virtual Library Ontario's Public Health Portal: www.publichealthontario.ca More information – phiitsupport@moh.gov.on.ca
Veronique Mandal	8:30 - 9:30 Plenary Presentation - Media Relations - Veronique Mandal. Veronique Mandal, a Health and Science reporter among many other things, began by acknowledging that public health is the most underreported segment of health related media reports, but the number one most important. In order to change this, the public health community needs to learn to co-opt media to get its messages to the public. She gave an overview of how reporters and editors function and what influences their decisions. Ensuring that the essence of a story gets out requires an understanding of the importance of how the story is going to be told. For example, dressing the story up might be required to get the story to the “top of the fold”, as reporters and editors are in constant competition to occupy the prime media real estate.  This requires being available to and willing to share information with reporters seeking additional details as they flesh out stories, naming people impacted by the subject and focusing on the essence what will make the story interesting, even if some seemingly important technical details are skipped. She also shared the essential differences among print (less immediate, focused on detail and narrative), television (immediate, visual and spare on detail),  radio (immediate, requiring accompanying natural sounds, also spare on detail). Each will be telling the same story in a very different way. Finally, she itemized a few essentials of an attractive news story - impact, proximity, newness (of the story), novelty (firsts, lasts and onlys), prominence (recognition of the subject), conflict, and audience. Click here for the slides.
Deputy Minister Ron Sapsford	9:30-10:00 - Keynote Address -  Deputy Minister Ron Sapsford The Deputy Minister opened his remarks by commenting on how public  health weaves its way through many levels of government, whose priority it is to build a public health system that clearly reflects its importance. He continued with an overview of status of the health system transformation, indicating that many of the solutions to the current problems will require long-term action. With a current budget of $37.9B, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is focusing on improving delivery of health care, accountability, and improving local responsiveness through the establishment of LHINs; continuing with its wait time strategy, and improving public health information technology. He reported that public health will remain structurally the same, but that links with LHINs will indeed be very important. He made special mention of former CMOH Dr. Sheela Basrur, conveying that her leadership on many issues is sorely missed by all at the Ministry. He also publicly thanked Ruth Hawkins and George Pasut for assuming the duties with dedication and commitment to the service of public health.   He then summarized recent developments The final draft of the proposed Ontario Public Health Standards are available for public review and are expected to be finalized and released early next year.  He thanked all members of the Technical Review Committee for their contributions. CRC Report - its complex set of recommendations is being reviewed in context of changes already underway. He acknowledged that we are anxious to receive the government's response, but advised that it is going to require a thorough analysis of the relationships between CRC and OPHS proposals. Bill 171 was passed last week and the Ontario Health Plan for Infleuenza Pandemic will be released this summer.     Repeated some older initiatives including the 112 ICPs hired since 2004, the establishment of RICNs and PIDAC, the coverage of 3 new childhood vaccines, increased provincial share of PH funding. An Environmental Health Branch has been established within the Public Health Division
Leonard Domino	10:20-12:00 - Plenary on Government Relations - Leonard Domino Leonard Domino introduced himself as a former Manitoba MLA with 25 years of experience in government relations. He offered to attempt to condense those 25 years of experience into an hour's worth of useful advice. His key message was that certain strategies must be employed for a lobbyist or advocate to achieve the desired outcome, including putting aside political allegiances, negotiating from a foundation of values while never attacking them, and focusing on the outcome rather than the means to achieve it. Outcomes that meet the needs of both parties are generally achieved through a process of ongoing negotiation that will usually require some flexibility of position. Please click here for a copy of his slide presentation BIO: http://leonarddomino.com/aboutus-len.html FURTHER INFORMATION: http://leonarddomino.com/
	1:00 - 2:00 PM - Resolutions Session Please Click Here for the Disposition of 2007 Resolutions Summary: A07-1, 100% Provincial Funding of Mandatory Health Programs and Services DEFEATED A07- 2, Childhood Obesity and Trans Fats    CARRIED  A07-3, Request for Further Consultation and Input into Public Health Standards WITHDRAWN; referred to alPHa Board of Directors for discussion A07-4, Ban on Cosmetic Pesticide Use TABLED as amended; referred to Advocacy Committee  A07-5,  Amendments of the Immunization of School Pupils Act CARRIED  A07-6, Advocate for a Provincial Strategy to Address Substance Use CARRIED  A07-7, Request for Public Funding for Human Papillomavirus Vaccine CARRIED  A07-8, Ontario Congenital Anomalies Surveillance System CARRIED A07-9, Cancer Care Ontario Support for Boards of Health CARRIED A07-10, Publicly Funded Dental Program to Assist Financially Disadvantaged Ontarians CARRIED A07-11, Children in Need of Treatment (CINOT) Program CARRIED