Local healthcare planning in rural southwestern Ontario.

In rural areas, local health and social services are often planned and developed by members of the community, the hospital and community agencies acting together. This system is a web of informal ties that, relying heavily on volunteer commitment, provides programs that aptly fit the local situation. In this article, the authors show how this functions in the Ontario community surrounding Palmerston and District Hospital, and offer a suggestion for the improved support of this system.