We’re pleased to share the new shared purpose and belief statements for East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP), the Ontario Health Team (OHT) serving East Toronto, which will further guide our collaborative work in better connecting local care and services for our communities.
The shared purpose is our OHT’s mission – our “why”. The belief statements communicate who we are, what we value and what we believe in. Together, they are a reminder of what we can achieve when we see health more holistically and collaborate as one unified partnership.
Shared purpose: Our goal is to build a healthier and more equitable East Toronto – enabling every person and neighbourhood to thrive.
Belief statements: As East Toronto organizations and community members working together, we believe in:
- Collaboration: Every organization and provider has a responsibility to help create an integrated system of care and work collaboratively in the best interests of the community;
- Equity by design: By mobilizing our community and amplifying the voices of those not typically heard, we can co-design a more inclusive system that delivers high-quality care and equitable health outcomes for everyone;
- Community-led change: Our community inspires us to be bolder, push harder, overcome systemic barriers, and create the conditions to achieve and sustain positive change; and
- Collective impact: The strength of our relationships is our greatest asset. Together, we are #OneEastToronto.
ETHP’s Community Advisory Council led the development of the new shared purpose and belief statements. They collaborated with other members of our OHT, including healthcare and social services providers from our 100-plus member organizations. These individuals provided feedback at multiple points, including at our Winter 2024 Planning Session, to ensure the shared purpose and belief statements were compelling, easy to understand, and accurately reflected ETHP’s work and values.
“This was truly a collaborative process where we considered feedback and perspectives from people of all ages, experiences and backgrounds,” says Vicky Beach, Co-Chair of ETHP’s Community Advisory Council.
“It was incredible to see how engaged and passionate our partners were in ensuring these statements are reflective of what is important to our OHT and the communities we serve.”
“We’re thrilled to have these new shared purpose and belief statements to guide our work as an OHT,” adds Razia Rashed, Community Co-Lead at ETHP.
“For many years, our partners have been doing the work of understanding the barriers our communities face when it comes to getting healthcare and social services. As we’ve started breaking down these barriers, it’s become clearer what drives us and brings us together to do this work.
“Having this formalized in writing will further motivate us to continue to deliver more connected, equitable care so we can improve everyone’s health.”
ETHP’s shared purpose and belief statements are now referenced under Our Purpose, as well as other pages on our website. We will explore opportunities to further share these statements with our community and ensure they are part of the foundation of our work.