Toronto Central LHIN today: A region of diversity and extremes

Ontario’s only completely urban and most densely populated LHIN, the Toronto Central LHIN is a region of diversity and extremes. Its population is a mosaic of various nationalities, socio-economic levels, and educational backgrounds. The LHIN is home to a diversity of providers and community services that address the needs of the different local communities.

While this diversity makes for a vibrant city, it also leads to considerable disparities in access and health outcomes, with some groups finding it markedly more difficult to get the care they need or experiencing higher rates of certain types of diseases. For instance, low-income neighbourhoods with recent immigrants have lower rates of screening for cancer and use hospital emergency departments less than wealthier, more established neighbourhoods.

A hub of health services, health education and research

The Toronto Central LHIN has the highest concentration of health services in Canada, with 177 agencies and more than 42,000 health care workers. The LHIN’s size is reflected in its base budget of $4.0 billion, which represents approximately 20 per cent of the province’s total base budget for health services. As a result of these specialized resources and daily flows of people in and out of Toronto, a large proportion of services - 52% for hospitals - is provided to people who live outside the Toronto Central LHIN.

A further distinguishing characteristic of the Toronto Central LHIN is the breadth and significance of the health-related education and research that take place within its boundaries that have local, provincial, national and global impact. This tremendous research and educational asset also comes with inherent costs and stewardship responsibilities.

The characteristics of the Toronto Central LHIN are further detailed in Appendix 3. Download the 2010 – 2013 Integrated Health Service Plan Appendices.