Although not part of the scope of this mandate, the Panel considers the second stage of broader public consultation as critical to the finalization of the Provincial Framework/Plan that meets the objective of improving access to health care services in rural, remote and northern Ontario. [...] Culturally and Linguistically Responsive: To improve the accessibility and appropriateness of services, planning, and delivery of services should be responsive to the cultural and linguistic needs and differences of individuals and communities. [...] LHINs, primary care, EMS, Public Health, community agencies), and that are responsive and sensitive to the unique local circumstances of communities in rural, remote and northern Ontario R2: Establish a process to identify strategies and guidelines to improve access to health care services for First Nations and Aboriginal communities, and which also considers the needs of remote, isolated and dist [...] As noted by Statistics Canada, at a macro level, the indicator “reflects the level of mortality, health status, and health care of a population, and the effectiveness of preventive care and the attention paid to maternal and child health.”9 As demonstrated in the chart to the right, the infant mortality rates in southern rural, Infant Mortality (Average # of Deaths per 1,000 Live Births) northern [...] It is the belief of the Panel that the implementation of this Stage 1 Framework/Plan will lessen the challenges and improve the overall access to health care in rural, remote and northern Ontario.