As we enter a new year and say goodbye to 2022, it feels strangely like dipping one’s toes into a lake, just to test the temperature. Will the water be cold enough to take your breath away, or can we ease in with comfort?
Needless to say, we’ve perhaps become skeptical about what lies ahead, as we continue to process the last one, two, or dare I say, three years.
Experts are, and will be, analyzing data for years to come about the pandemic, its short and long-term impacts, how things got so bad, and what could have been done to prevent it. These past few years are finding their way into the history books and economists are making predictions about global financial futures, while healthcare across the globe is and will continue to be in ‘recovery mode’ for years to come.
As with every holiday season, we tend to become reflective about what went right in the previous year, what could have been done better, and what lies ahead. With healthcare having been front and center in the media for several years now, it is my hope that 2023 will be a year of future planning, setting goals that align with the needs of our community, and finding ways to address those needs in energized and exciting ways.
In 2022 we said farewell to a few of our long-time staff and welcomed new members to our growing team of professionals. I wish to personally thank all of the Community Health Centres of Northumberland staff for your hard work and dedication to the clients that we serve. We have a positive and resilient team and I look forward to our shared goal setting for the future of our programs and services. We will be entering into a new strategic planning phase as an organization, which provides ample opportunity to make improvements and develop new initiatives.
As members of the Ontario Health Team of Northumberland, we are also looking forward to helping to achieve the strategic goals of the OHT as its Strategic Plan has been completed and is available to read here.
Much of the OHT-Northumberland Strategic Plan is highly reflective of the goals and values of the Community Health Centres of Northumberland, with shared target populations and a focus on access to care and equitable approaches.
All of the work being done by our local health and social service providers is evidence that Northumberland County has a strong foundation for a full recovery from the difficulties of the last few years.
Together, we will work towards a better 2023 and beyond. It is with great pride that I know the CHCN will be very much involved in local system recovery and improvement.
Best wishes to all,
Taryn Rennicks
Executive Director
Community Health Centres of Northumberland
