Former Haliburton Highlands Health Services CEO Foster Loucks is thenewest appointment to the Family Health Team board of directorsoccupying the role of community representative. Loucks brings a lifetime of health experience to the table and is looking forward to theopportunity.
By Angelica Blenich
Foster Loucks has spent many years at the head of the board room but now he will be weighing in on health-care decisions from a different perspective.
In recent months Loucks has joined the Family Health Team board of directors as its community representative a new position for the organization.
Loucks was approached by the FHT board about the opportunity hoping to tap into his wealth of health-care knowledge and expertise.
A former Haliburton Highlands Health Services CEO and most recently chairman of the local Central East LHIN integration Loucks also spent years working in mental health services.
However the retired professional maintains that one of his most standout qualifications for the position of community representative is that like you and me he is a user of the health-care system in Haliburton County.
“I’ve had a lot of experience in health care over the years” said Loucks. “But more than that I was born and raised in this community so I know the community … it’s been a real advantage I would say having those roots in the community.”
In existence since 2006 the FHT board of directors acts separately from the HHHS board and includes four physicians the HHHS CEO as well as other directors said FHT executive director Kim Robinson.
The board of directors oversees the FHT which includes social workers dieticians and other professionals.
“We’re thrilled to have Foster on with his experience” said Robinson. “They [the board] help us determine where some of the needs are and where our staff should be focusing where the gaps are in the community. We then set-up programs to work in conjunction with the physicians.”
One of the areas Loucks would like to focus on is that of primary care and its importance in the overall system.
“It really means your first point of contact with the health-care system” he said. “When you think of a health system it’s equally important to think of that first contact and that’s why this Family Health Team is so important because if you’re not feeling well today you don’t necessarily think about going to the hospital … we have a walk-in clinic and if people have a family doctor they make an appointment … so that part of the system really needs to work well for the health system to work well.”
Loucks is looking forward to getting involved with the FHT an organization he has full confidence in.
“I’m happy to be a part of this board and making a contribution” he said. “I think people in our community are pretty accepting of the services the Family Health Team provides.”
Coming up to his 70th birthday this summer Loucks has never been a more fervent supporter of first-class health care which he believes the Highlands truly has.
He believes the FHT has played an integral role in building up the services throughout the community.
“Going back to my early days here it’s just remarkable what we have here today” he said. “Sometimes we get caught up in we don’t have this and we don’t have that. But for somebody who’s about to turn 70 this summer and who’s lived here when there was so much less we have a wonderful system.”
