Transfer order issued

Ontario is building healthier and safer communities by taking another step to end hallway health care and build an integrated, connected health care system.

On March 18, 2020, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, issued a transfer order under the Connecting Care Act, 2019 for the transfer of all the assets, liabilities, rights, obligations, contracts and employees of the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) into Ontario Health, effective April 1, 2020. This follows the previous transfer of five agencies and select Local Health Integration Networks (LHIN) executives into Ontario Health in December 2019.

Ontario Health will assume the operations and activities of OTN. Work locations and reporting obligations will remain the same. Ed Brown will continue to oversee the work of the OTN as the business unit lead within Ontario Health, reporting to Matthew Anderson, President and CEO of Ontario Health.

OTN is a world leader in providing virtual access to care for patients in every hospital in Ontario and hundreds of other health care organizations across the province.

This transfer helps further pave the way for digital-first approaches to health care in Ontario including virtual care and improving the integration and efficiency of digital assets across the health system.

Based on feedback and guidance from Ontario Health, the transfer of the health system funding, planning and coordination functions of the LHINs will be postponed as the province continues to actively respond to COVID-19. Plans will be made to transfer these functions into Ontario Health at a later date.