Community Spotlight: Laurie McDougall

When Laurie returned to the Timiskaming area upon retiring, she found herself seeing the local health system through different perspectives: as a patient, a caregiver, and a community member who wanted to help make things better.

Her parents were in their 80s and beginning to experience more complex health needs. Her dad was receiving dialysis three times a week, often requiring long trips outside the community for care. At the same time, Laurie was navigating the health system for herself after returning home without a primary care provider.

“I knew there was a need for community perspective,” Laurie said. “I had family and friends who were struggling day to day, and I thought, is there anything I can do to help move things along?”

When Laurie saw a social media post about a community discussion on diabetes care, she decided to attend.

“I just took everything in,” she said. “As time went on, I realized I had a lot to say.”

This community discussion eventually led her to the Timiskaming Ontario Health Team’s (TOHT) Community Citizen Council, where she has been involved for just over a year and serves as one of the Council’s tri-chairs.

Bringing Lived Experience to the Table

Laurie spent much of her career working in child welfare in Southern Ontario, including managing programs and working with a pediatric clinic for children in foster care. Her work involved program development and evaluation, experience that she now brings to her role with the TOHT.

Laurie is a strong believer in the principle of “nothing about me without me.” For her, meaningful change starts with making sure the people who use health and social services have an opportunity to help shape them. Since joining the TOHT, she has been involved in work to better understand and improve pathways within the local health system, including efforts related to diabetes care, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and palliative care.

Laurie’s involvement has also taken her out into the community. At the Spring Fling in Haileybury this past summer, Laurie and TOHT team member, Jessica, spoke with approximately 120 people about the TOHT and its work, helping share how TOHT member partners are aiming to improve care in Timiskaming, and how community members can get involved like Laurie.

Looking to the Future

Laurie understands that transforming a health system is not something that happens overnight. There are many steps involved in turning ideas into action, and meaningful change can take time, but she believes that makes the work happening today even more important.

“If we can start with the groundwork so the next group of people coming up and becoming elderly have better care, then that’s what this is all about,” she said.

For Laurie, that message isn’t just for seniors, caregivers or people who are currently navigating the health system. It’s a call for younger people, too.

“What kind of a system do you want for yourself and your parents when you need it?” she asks.

Laurie believes that getting involved now is one way to help answer that question.

Your Experience Matters

The Community Citizen Council is a place where people can contribute their experiences and perspectives without needing to be a healthcare professional or commit to a particular level of involvement. There’s no obligation to get very involved, the time commitment can be small or big.

For Laurie, being part of the Community Citizen Council is her way of giving back to the community she grew up in, while helping lay the groundwork for a better health system for the generations that come next. She hopes more people, especially younger community members, will feel compelled to get involved in this work too.

To learn more and get involved, visit https://timiskamingoht.ca/get-involved/