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Narrative
The indicator employment status of medical officers of health is defined as a situation where the medical officer of health is employed on a permanent full time basis with the board of health.
Strong medical officer of health (MOH) leadership is essential in public health to protect the community’s health, and assume overall responsibility for management of the delivery of public health programs and services.
Under the HPPA, each board of health is responsible for recruiting a qualified MOH to fill the position on a permanent, full time basis. In the event that the MOH office becomes vacant, the Act requires that the board of health appoint an Acting MOH while it works expeditiously to fill the position. Boards may also appoint one or more Associate MOHs.
The appointment of both MOHs and AMOHs requires approval by the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care and the qualifications for these positions are specified in regulation.
Public health units with acting MOHs (as of December 31st, 2008)
| Type of Public Health Unit |
Name of Public Health Unit |
Length of time MOH position has been filled on an acting basis |
| Rural Northern Regions |
Northwestern |
> 2 years |
| Porcupine |
> 7 years |
| Mainly Rural |
Eastern Ontario |
> 2 years |
| Elgin-St. Thomas |
> 12 years |
Haldimand-Norfolk |
> 12 years |
| Oxford County |
> 11 years |
Perth District |
> 2 years |
| Urban/Rural Mix |
Chatham-Kent |
> 6 years |
| Lambton |
> 10 years |
| Sparsely Populated Urban-Rural Mix |
Timiskaming |
> 12 years |
| Urban Centres |
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph |
> 3 years |
In terms of full time status, three public health units reported that they have MOHs who are working less than a full time equivalent, and two public health units share one FTE.
Indicator Definition
Definition:
Indicates where a medical officer of health is employed on a permanent, full time basis with a board of health. FTE is defined by local board of health HR policies.
Data Source(s):
Survey of boards of health, 2008
Formula:
Number of positions by full time status, with values to not exceed 1.0 FTE
Notes:
- Some boards of health consider MOH time spent providing on call service to contribute to or exceed the requirement for full time status
- There is no standardized definition of "full time" across all boards of health
Data
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