Board of Health approves 2025 budget with a focus on core mandate

At its November meeting, the Board of Health approved the cost-shared operating budget for Public Health Sudbury & Districts in the amount of $31,036,499, which includes a funding increase to address rising operational costs and needs in the community, makes investments in the agency for long-term efficiency and improvement, and ensures sustainability of services. This budget increase is, however, outpaced by public health funding, inflation, and growing local needs and health challenges which necessitates focused spending on core responsibilities under the Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS).

“Public Health Sudbury & Districts, like other public health agencies across the province, must carefully assess how best to use its limited resources. The budget represents a difficult but thoughtful balance between sustaining critical public health services and managing costs during challenging economic times,” said René Lapierre, Chair, Board of Health.

Public Health will responsibly reduce or discontinue certain programs that fall outside its mandate and are the responsibility of other agencies, or where the impact on community health is relatively small, to ensure resources are concentrated where they can achieve the greatest impact on community health.

“As we face tighter budget realities, my top priority remains protecting and promoting the health and health equity of the communities we serve,” said Dr. Mustafa Hirji, Acting Medical Officer of Health and Chief Executive Officer for Public Health Sudbury & Districts. “While Public Health has historically offered services beyond its core mandate, this is no longer sustainable. We are committed to making the best use of our resources by carefully focusing on services that will have the greatest positive impact on the public’s health,” said Dr. Hirji.

The changes to programs and services are based on careful consideration of the needs of the community, risk assessments, and the organization’s Strategic Priorities. Public Health is notifying affected clients and partners of the changes and will offer support where possible.

Summary of changes to Public Health services by category

In addition to the summary below, see more detailed information about service changes.

• Clinical services and immunizations: discontinuation of the Growing Family Health Clinic, tuberculosis skin testing for non-public health purposes, and fee-for-service vaccinations (such as travel vaccines). Public Health will continue to offer publicly funded vaccines as per the Ontario immunization schedules and school-based immunizations for Grade 7 students.
• Food safety: Public Health will no longer offer in-person food handler training nor re-communicate food safety recalls by the provincial government or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (unless those agencies request Public Health’s assistance). Individuals can subscribe to recall alerts directly from the Government of Canada.
• Inspections and investigations: Public Health will adjust the frequency of some routine inspections with enhanced risk assessments. Public Health will no longer conduct beach water testing or health hazard investigations that are not part of the public health mandate, for example, multi-unit dwelling complaints related to lack of heat. Blue-green algae response will be reduced as the province continues to be primarily responsible for this response.
• School health: vision screening for senior kindergarten students and classroom education by public health inspectors will be discontinued.
• Surveillance initiatives: vector-borne disease surveillance, such as mosquito trapping and tick collection, will be stopped. However, Public Health will continue to monitor disease prevalence and provide community education and disease updates.
• Other services: Public Health will update fee schedules for septic system applications to ensure they remain cost neutral.

Additional information about the 2025 budget for Public Health Sudbury & Districts budget is included in the November Board of Health package and the related briefing note (PDF, page 15). For more information about Public Health Sudbury & Districts, please visit phsd.ca or call 705.522.9200 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200).

Changes to Public Health Sudbury & Districts services

2025 Budget

Following approval of its 2025 budget, Public Health Sudbury & Districts is aligning its programs and services with its core mandate under the Ontario Public Health Standards. Public Health will focus its resources on areas that offer the greatest potential for healthy community outcomes, which includes health promotion and health protection efforts.

As part of this work, Public Health will responsibly reduce or discontinue certain programs and services that fall outside its mandate and are the responsibility of other agencies, or where the benefit on community health is relatively small, to ensure resources are focused where they can achieve the greatest impacts. Public Health has notified partners of the changes and will support them where possible.

The following is a summary of changes to Public Health services.

Clinical services and immunizations

Public Health will no longer offer

• The Growing Family Health Clinic. Clients can seek services through walk-in clinics and should contact Health Care Connect (ontario.ca). Public Health is finalizing transition plans and will be notifying clients about the closure and next steps.
• Tuberculosis skin testing for non-public health purposes. Anyone needing such tests for employment or volunteer purposes can visit their primary care provider or a walk-in clinic.
• Fee-for-service vaccinations, including some vaccines recommended for travel, vaccines sought for employment purposes, and other vaccines that are outside the publicly funded eligibility criteria. Public Health will continue to offer publicly funded vaccines that are part of the Publicly Funded Immunization Schedules for Ontario (PDF, ontario.ca). Public Health will continue to offer publicly funded school-based immunizations for Grade 7 students through in-school clinics.

Food safety

Public Health will no longer offer

• In-person food handler training. Training is available through other providers online.
• Recommunication of food safety recalls, unless explicitly requested by the provincial government or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Individuals can subscribe to receive recall alerts directly from the Government of Canada.

Inspections and investigations

Public Health will enhance risk-targeting for routine inspections. This means that the agency will adjust inspection frequencies to focus resources on settings that pose higher potential risks to public health. This enhanced targeted approach will allow the agency to prioritize activities with the biggest impact and benefits on health outcomes while maintaining safety standards.

Modify the frequency of inspection for

• Low-risk personal service settings
• Low- and moderate-risk food premises

* There will be no change to the schedule for routine inspection of higher risk settings

Discontinue the following routine inspections

• Beach inspections, water sampling, and beach postings
• Splash pads (Class C recreational water facilities)
• Ice arenas (for example, carbon monoxide testing)

Discontinue the following services or services outside our mandate

• Blue-green algae response (communications would still occur)
• Health hazard investigations that are not part of the public health mandate, for example, housing complaints related to lack of heat, bedbugs, and rodents or pests.

School health

Public Health will no longer offer

• Vision screening for senior kindergarten students. The Ontario Government has proposed eliminating this legislative requirement.
• Classroom education by public health inspectors (for example, topics such as handwashing)

Surveillance initiatives

Public Health will discontinue the following activities  

• Vector-borne disease surveillance activities, for example, mosquito trapping for West Nile virus detection and tick collection for Lyme disease detection. These diseases in humans remain reportable to Public Health as Disease of Public Health Significance, and Public Health will continue to monitor disease prevalence and provide community education and disease updates.

Other services

• Public Health will update fees for septic system applications to ensure they remain cost neutral. Fee schedules will be updated and information will be provided to applicants.