The single-window is very new, very recent. It was a project of the network in cooperation with community health organizations in Renfrew. Renfrew was part of the region that our network serves, and it was quite difficult, because the French-speaking population of Renfrew is not very big.
We brought together the organizations that wanted to serve the population. We had allies like the CCACs, the Community Care Access Centres, and we also had mental health allies, like Bernadette Wren, who heads a mental health organization. There were also other people at the table. The single-window needed to be consolidated and it had to work well, so that people would have a place to call and someone to talk to who could tell them where they could get adequate service in French.
Will that occur elsewhere? Yes, there will be a single-window for francophones in the Ottawa area too, and the same project will surely happen in other regions. This project was important because francophones want us to tell them immediately where they can be served in French. That was the goal.
I think access is one of the priorities of the new Champlain District Local Health Integration Network. Access to these services has to be fast; you shouldn't have to make 3,000 phone calls to get an answer. The single-window meets that need. Given that there are fewer points of service in French, the person will be referred, served in French and know where to go to get services in French. That will also facilitate active offer in establishments like the Renfrew Hospital and other services like the CCACs, where there will be services in French.