President of Preferred Health Care takes her skills to the Ontario Home Care Association

Finding opportunity in challenges key to new board member's success

Tracy Jones, president of Preferred Health Care Services, says her recent election to the Ontario Home Care Association’s (OHCA) board of directors is a chance to learn and possibly influence change in the home-care sector.

“I felt that this was a good opportunity to learn from other board members who are CEO/ presidents of national organizations (and I) felt my business background and fresh outlook on home care might be insightful,” says Jones, who was elected to the board at OHCA’s annual general meeting May 28th.

Preferred Health has been a long-standing member of the OHCA and its national body, the Canadian Home Care Association. Jones says becoming a board member will provide the organization with first-hand information on the climate of home care in Ontario as well as new policies that are being developed.

Adding to this, Jones says a strength she brings to the board is her strong focus on business development and opportunity, as opposed to a clinical perspective.

“For every challenge or issue the home-care sector faces we need to delve deeper and find the opportunity . . . to provide a high quality of care (service), run a more efficient operation and develop innovative solutions. These are all objectives of any business not just a health-care business.”

As an OHCA board member, Jones says she plans to continue to familiarize herself with the Local Health Integration Networks and meet with other leaders of home-care agencies.

Key objectives are to ensure the OHCA represents the agencies of Ontario and that their voice is heard by the policy makers, particularly in relation to employment standards, funding for home care, the potential impact of the harmonized sales tax on private home care and accreditation, says Jones.

Looking to the United States for trends in home care will also form part of her committee work.

“Our organization has to be on the move, innovative and efficient all the while focused on providing quality of care . . . and doing all of this better than our competitors,” says Jones.

Jones adds she is enthusiastic for the opportunity to serve on the board and looks forward to working with the other members.

“We have a strong team in place and I am confident we will succeed. We are all excited about our future prospective.”

Board members of the OHCA serve two-year terms and members are able to run for re-election.

The OHCA represents home health care organizations that provide home-care services throughout Ontario for the past 30 years.

For more information on the OHCA, click here.

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