Incorporating Public Health More Closely Into Local Governance of Health Care Delivery: Lessons From the Québec Experience

摘要

In 2004, the Quebec government undertook a major reorganization of its health care system by integrating public health more formally into local governance structures. In all, 95 new organizations — Health and Social Services Centres (CSSS) — were created and given a population-based responsibility. This mandate required that CSSSs broaden their range of services by adopting a population-based plan and integrating public health into their activities. To accomplish this, they needed to link public health and health care issues more formally within a single governance structure. The aim of this article is to identify and analyze various activities undertaken by CSSS managers to fulfill their population-based responsibility.