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A Community Health Centre hub run by the community, for the community

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

KCHC’s breastfeeding peer support group, started and run by new moms, meets for their summer celebration in a Kingston park.

by Jason Rehel, AOHC story producer and editor

In the speech from the throne on September 12, Premier Wynne reiterated her government’s commitment to community hubs, affirming they make it “easier to access health, social, education, cultural and recreational programs and services that nurture community life.” But creating hubs, and making sure they serve the community in the most effective way, is no easy matter. How can more Ontario communities get there?

Kingston Community Health Centres (KCHC) is a leader showing the way. Its 263 Weller Avenue location, a.k.a. the “Hub,” which opened in 2014, is now a busy hive of interprofessional care, social services, and community-driven programs. Now, nearly 100 Syrian refugees are being provided with housing, immigrant, education and parenting services under the same roof as primary health care. New user-driven programs include a breastfeeding peer support group. For people coping with multiple stresses, the Hub provides seamless wraparound support.

#HISTORY OF THE HUB

The vision for the Hub began in 2012 when it became clear that KCHC, and its seven access points, needed to improve the delivery of its many different services: dental care, programs that help low-income families raise healthy children, assistance for youth from deprived communities to complete high school successfully, settlement programs for new immigrants and refugees, as well as a variety of regional programs that promote better access for anyone facing barriers to good health.

“We are the go-to organization whenever there are issues or social challenges in the community,” says Hersh Sehdev, executive director of Kingston Community Health Centres. “But back when our programs were spread across so many sites, we became concerned that we were not properly serving the needs of people already facing barriers. So we set out to build a ‘people place.’ ” The plan: put all programs under one roof, and develop strategies to provide integrated one-stop access to families with limited resources.

#THE COMMUNITY BOARD’S ROLE

Driving the development was KCHC’s board, comprised of community members with longstanding involvement in grassroots activism, across education, health and immigration issues.

“A community board makes the bottom line serve the community, rather than the other way around,” says Jim Brown, who’s served as a director on the board since 2011. “That’s the mindset, that’s the heart-setof everybodyat the table. It’s not about competing with other organizations, or letting anything get in the way of clear thinking about your community.”

Part of the board’s clear thinking was that KCHC should maintain its downtown and rural sites, Street Health Centre (SHC) and Napanee Area CHC (NACHC), in the preferred locations suitable to those communities. Both the SHC and NACHC sites are now in new buildings as well. But in the city’s north end, KCHC decided to build the Hub. When it came time to get the municipal government involved, it was the centres’ board that stepped up, Sehdev notes. Board members’ close ties and relationships in the community enabled them to demonstrate the value the Hub would hold for Kingston overall. Now that the Hub is up and running, KCHC’s board works to ensure that the services and programs offered address the most important factors affecting health in the community. This approach is backed up by research that supports community governance as a key factor that leads to a broader range of services, which are better oriented to a community’s specific needs.

#WHAT A REAL ‘PEOPLE PLACE’ LOOKS LIKE

Sehdev recalls a young woman coming out of immigrant services, shortly after the Hub opened. She asked about some pictures she saw on the wall, and it turned out the program she was asking about, Better Beginnings, was for parents to learn more about children’s programs and education. “The whole goal of creating the Hub – its design, how it was built, with the community and people at its centre, was to promote access across program boundaries, and to give people control and choice over their own care,” Sehdev says.

The KCHC hub’s physical design further reflects community-centredness: its central meeting area hives off into separate areas for primary care, newcomer, and various other social services. A community café acts as a hub within the Hub, a place where people learn about food and culture, and where newcomers to Canada now play a leading role.

“The immigrant community runs this program now. It’s become a place where people can practise their English and share their food ideas,” Sehdev adds.

#A NETWORK OF HUBS ACROSS ONTARIO

KCHC is one of 108 community-governed primary health care organizations across Ontario, many of which serve as community hubs, who put people and communities at the centre of governance, as well as services and program development.

“Because they are rooted in the community and are run by community members, Ontario’s community-governed primary health care organizations often evolve over time to create and run hubs,” says Leah Stephenson, director of special projects for the Association of Ontario Health Centres. “Community-governed hubs like those operated by KCHC enhance community vitality and people’s sense of belonging, because they’re community-centred, and they set out to build the pathways that link the wellbeing of every person with the wider wellbeing of the community as a whole. These incredible impacts are a glimpse of what is possible across Ontario when community-governed health providers very intentionally put people and communities first.”

Between September 26 and October 1, 108 AOHC member centres across Ontario will celebrate Community Health and Wellbeing Week. This year, special events will showcase how health providers put people and communities first in the delivery of services and programs. In the lead-up to Community Health and Wellbeing Week, AOHC centres are sharing principles and practices they apply every day to do this.

Joignez-vous à notre appel en ligne au ministre Hoskins : Passons de Priorité aux patients à Priorité aux personnes et aux communautés!

Friday, September 9, 2016

Quand la population participe à la prise de décisions au sujet des services de leur communauté reçoit, les résultats s’améliorent.

par Adrianna Tetley, chef de la direction de l’Association des centres de santé de l’Ontario

Bienvenue au nouveau blogue de l’Association des centres de santé de l’Ontario : « Le changement transformateur en action ». Nous commençons par demander : pourquoi le débat public sur le système de santé de l’Ontario est-il tellement concentré sur les médecins et combien ils sont payés pour fournir des services aux patients? Si vous pensez vous aussi qu’il faut changer la conversation, joignez-vous à notre blitz provincial dans les médias sociaux en faveur du changement.

Voici ce qui nous préoccupe : le mois dernier, les nouvelles étaient saturées de commentaires sur le fait que le gouvernement provincial et l’Association médicale de l’Ontario ne sont toujours pas parvenus à une entente sur la rémunération des médecins.

Notre association espère certainement cette impasse se résoudra bientôt. Les médecins sont un élément absolument essentiel de notre système de santé; plus de 400 médecins salariés travaillent dans les 108 centres membres de l’ACSO. Sans m’exprimer en leur nom, je suis persuadée qu’il y a des priorités bien plus importantes que la rémunération des médecins.

#Guérir notre culture toxique

Pour commencer, notre priorité doit être de garder la population en bonne santé – prévenir les maladies évitables et les visites évitables aux bureaux des médecins, dans les salles d’urgence et les lits d’hôpitaux. Pour mieux faire dans le domaine de la prévention des maladies, nous devons nous attaquer à ce que Gabor Maté et d’autres appellent notre « culture toxique ».

La culture toxique est une maladie sociétale qui se manifeste sous de nombreux aspects nuisibles à la santé. Beaucoup trop de gens ont des problèmes de santé parce qu’ils ne peuvent pas se permettre de s’alimenter sainement ou d’avoir un logement salubre. Beaucoup trop de gens souffrent de maladies liées au stress parce qu’ils sont victimes de racisme ou d’autres formes d’exclusion sociale. Dans les régions rurales ou éloignées, et surtout dans les communautés autochtones, des milliers de personnes ne peuvent pas avoir accès à l’eau potable ou aux services les plus élémentaires de promotion de la santé et de prévention.

Les recherches montrent que 50 pour cent des résultats pour la santé de la population au Canada sont déclenchés par ces facteurs sociétaux toxiques. Donc encore une fois, je pose la question : pourquoi sommes-nous toujours en train de parler de ce qui se passe dans les cabinets des médecins et de la rémunération des médecins pour leurs services? Je pose la même question à propos des hôpitaux. Oui, les médecins et les hôpitaux jouent un rôle très important pour traiter les gens quand ils sont malades. Mais nous devons prévenir davantage, afin de traiter moins. Nous devons créer une culture de la santé et du bien-être qui empêche les maladies et les blessures évitables, une culture qui favorise le meilleur état de santé possible pour tout le monde, peu importe qui ils sont et où ils vivent, une culture que la première ministre Wynne a confié à ses collègues du Cabinet le mandat d’offrir, mais qui ne s’est pas encore manifestée.

#Changer l’accent

Pour concrétiser cette vision, les gouvernements fédéral, provinciaux, régionaux et municipaux doivent éliminer la compartimentation et appliquer une approche axée sur la santé dans toutes les politiques. Et notre système de santé doit montrer la voie en appliquant des principes et pratiques centrés sur les personnes et les communautés qui répondent aux réalités toxiques nuisant à la santé des gens, que ce soit la pauvreté, la discrimination ou d’autres types de contraintes sociales, économiques ou environnementales.

Une approche centrée sur les personnes et les communautés signifie également rejeter la notion que les gens sont des individus isolés qu’il faut traiter comme des bénéficiaires de soins passifs et patients. Au contraire, ils ont besoin de participer activement à la prise de décisions au sujet du genre de services que leur communauté doit recevoir, et sur le mode de prestation de ces services. Les recherches montrent que lorsque c’est le cas, les résultats s’améliorent.

#Recadrer le débat et la prise de décisions

Ce changement semble ardu. Comment pouvons-nous y arriver? Le ministre Hoskins peut faire un pas important en recadrant tout simplement la conversation.

Un exemple en est son initiative « Priorité aux patients » et le projet de loi omnibus qui la soutient. Dans nos prochains blogues, nous vous présenterons les points positifs et les points négatifs de ce projet de loi, qui est maintenant à l’étude à Queen’s Park. Mais nous tenons tout d’abord à insister sur le fait que l’emploi du mot « patients » implique une attention continue sur les médecins et les hôpitaux, et que cette orientation ne produira pas la culture de la santé et du bien-être dont nous avons vraiment besoin. Nous proposons plutôt au ministre Hoskins de recadrer la transformation du système de santé autour du thème « Priorité aux personnes et aux communautés ».

Êtes-vous d’accord avec cette première étape? Ensuite, nous vous invitons à participer à notre appel en ligne en utilisant une application de médias sociaux appelée Thunderclap. Cet outil vous permet d’utiliser la plateforme de votre choix (Facebook, Twitter ou Tumblr) pour envoyer un message déterminé au ministre Hoskins.

Notre intention est que notre message « Priorité aux personnes et aux communautés » profite d’une large diffusion à l’occasion du lancement de la semaine santé communautaire et bien-être de notre association (du 26 septembre au 1^er octobre).

À la veille et tout au long de la semaine, consultez ce blogue pour y découvrir des histoires sur la manière dont les centres de santé des quatre coins de la province appliquent déjà des pratiques qui accordent la priorité aux personnes et aux communautés.

Nous montrerons comment nos centres membres élaborent des services et des programmes qui s’attaquent à la « culture toxique » de l’Ontario.
Nous exposerons les avantages des centres de santé régis par la communauté, pour la communauté.
Nous démontrerons aussi l’importance du rôle que jouent les prestataires pour faire en sorte que les gens qu’ils servent sont actifs et non passifs et patients, et qu’ils participent à la prise de décisions sur la manière d’améliorer leur état de santé et leur système de santé.

Merci de vous joindre à la conversation alors que nous faisons la transition vers la Priorité aux personnes et aux communautés.

Join our #CHWW2016 call to Minister Hoskins: Let’s shift from Patients First to People And Communities First!

Friday, September 9, 2016

When people participate in decision-making about services their communities receive, outcomes improve.

by Adrianna Tetley, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Ontario Health Centres

Welcome to the Association of Ontario Health Centres new blog “Transformative Change in Action.” We begin by asking: why is public debate about Ontario’s health system so focused on doctors and how much they are paid to deliver services to patients? If you agree we need to shift the conversation, join us in a province-wide social media blitz championing the change.

Here’s our concern: this past month the news has overflowed with commentary about how the provincial government and Ontario Medical Association have still not reached an agreement on physician compensation.

Our association certainly hopes this impasse ends soon. Physicians are an absolutely vital part of our health system; over 400 salaried physicians work in AOHC 108 member centres. I won’t speak for them, but I do feel confident saying there are much bigger priorities than physician compensation.

#Curing our toxic culture

For starters, we need to prioritize keeping people well ̶ preventing avoidable illness and avoidable visits to doctors’ offices, emergency rooms and hospital beds. To do a better job preventing illness, we need to confront what Gabor Maté and others call our “Toxic Culture.”

Toxic culture is a societal disease that manifests itself in many different health harming ways. Far too many people suffer from poor health because they can’t afford healthy food or a safe roof over their heads. Too many suffer from stress-related illnesses because they experience racism or other forms of social exclusion. In rural or remote areas, and especially in Indigenous communities, thousands can’t access clean water or the most basic health promotion and prevention services.

Research shows that 50 per cent of population health outcomes in Canada are triggered by these toxic societal based factors. So again I’m asking: why are we always talking about what goes on in medical offices and how much doctors are paid for their services? I’m asking the same question about hospitals. Yes, both doctors and hospitals fulfill a very important role treating people when they are sick. But we need to prevent more in order to treat less. We need to create a culture of health and wellbeing that prevents avoidable illness and injury, a culture that promotes the best possible health outcomes for everyone, no matter who they are or where they live, a culture that Premier Wynne mandated her cabinet colleagues to deliver, but as yet we have not seen.

#Shifting focus

To achieve this vision, federal, provincial, regional and municipal governments must break down silos and apply a health-in-all-policies approach. And our health system must lead the way applying people- and community-centred principles and practices that respond to toxic realities harming people’s health, whether it be poverty, discrimination, or other types of social, economic or environmental stresses.

A people- and community-centred approach also means jettisoning the notion that people are individualized islands to be treated as passive and patient recipients of care. Instead they need to be active participants in decision-making about what kind of services their communities should receive, and how those services should be delivered. Research demonstrates that when this happens, outcomes improve.

#Reframing the debate and decision-making

This shift sounds daunting. How do we get there? Minister Hoskins can take an important step by simply changing the way he frames the conversation.

A case in point is Minister Hoskins’ “Patients First” initiative and the omnibus bill that supports it. In upcoming blog posts, we’ll report on both the positives and the negatives of this legislation, which is now under review at Queen’s Park. But the very first point we need to make is that using the term “patients” implies an ongoing focus on doctors and hospitals, and this focus will not deliver the culture of health and wellbeing we really need. Instead we propose to Minister Hoskins that he frame health system transformation using the term “People and Communities First.”

Do you agree with this first step? Then we invite you to participate in our online call using a social media application called Thunderclap. This tool enables you to use your platform of choice (Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr) to send a strong message to Minister Hoskins.

Our intent is for our “People and Communities First” message to go far and wide as our association launches Community Health and Wellbeing week (September 26 to October 1).

In the lead-up to and during the week, check this blog for stories about how health centres across the province are already applying practices that put people and communities first.

• We’ll show how our member centres are developing services and programs that address Ontario’s “Toxic Culture.”• We’ll report on the benefits of health centres governed by the community, for the community. • We’ll also demonstrate the value of health providers making sure the people they serve are active, not passive and patient, participants in decision-making about how to improve their health and their health system.

Thanks for joining the conversation as we shift it to: People and Communities First.

L’ACSO salue les excuses de la première ministre Wynne pour un échec de politique francophone

Date:

Monday, February 22, 2016

(TORONTO, le 22 février 2016) – L’Association des centres de santé de l’Ontario salue les excuses présentées aujourd’hui par la première ministre Kathleen Wynne à « tous les Franco-Ontariens et toutes les Franco-Ontariennes, leurs communautés et tous et toutes qui ont souffert à cause du Règlement 17 ». Dans son discours, la première ministre a reconnu les obstacles vécus par les francophones depuis le dernier siècle, ainsi que l’échec de cette politique.

Le Règlement 17, adopté par le gouvernement du premier ministre James Whitney en 1912, a limité l’usage du français comme langue d’enseignement et de communication aux deux premières années du niveau primaire. En 1913, il a été modifié de manière à restreindre encore davantage l’enseignement en français à seulement une heure par jour. Bien que ce règlement ait été abrogé en 1927, il a fallu attendre en 1968 pour que l’Ontario reconnaisse officiellement les écoles françaises.

« Concrètement, le Règlement 17 a eu pour effet, à un moment où les francophones représentaient dix pour cent de la population de l’Ontario, de priver toute une génération de l’accès à l’éducation dans sa langue maternelle », affirme Denis Constantineau, directeur général du Centre de santé communautaire du Grand Sudbury, initiateur de la demande d’excuses. « Cette politique a contribué à l’assimilation d’un grand nombre de francophones. Des milliers de personnes ont perdu leur langue, leur culture et leur sentiment d’identité. Cela a eu des répercussions majeures sur leur santé et leur bien-être. Des décennies plus tard, nous continuons à en ressentir les effets. »

L’Association des centres de santé de l’Ontario, dont fait partie le Centre de santé communautaire du Grand Sudbury, représente 108 centres de soins primaires de l’Ontario. Dans le cadre de son cadre anti-oppression, l’Association reconnaît que les communautés francophones ont des histoires, des besoins, des droits juridiques et des droits protégés par la Constitution distincts, qui doivent se refléter dans des politiques publiques empreintes de respect, d’inclusion, de responsabilisation et d’équité.

« Le Règlement 17 est une politique publique qui n’aurait jamais dû exister », déclare la chef de la direction de l’ACSO, Adrianna Tetley. « Nous nous réjouissons que la première ministre Wynne ait présenté ses excuses pour ce chapitre très fâcheux de l’histoire du système d’éducation de notre province. Il s’agit d’une première étape importante. Nous pressons la première ministre de veiller à ce que son gouvernement prenne des mesures énergiques pour faire en sorte que tous les autres systèmes financés par le gouvernement provincial répondent plus efficacement aux besoins des populations francophones. Notre système de santé est un autre exemple où la politique provinciale échoue actuellement à assurer l’accès équitable des francophones aux services en français. »

D’ici quelques semaines, l’Association soumettra sa réponse officielle aux propositions du ministère de la Santé et des Soins de longue durée sur les mesures visant à réformer la prestation des services de santé. L’Association fera valoir que le modèle fragmenté actuel de prestation des services de santé en français doit être remplacé par un système plus équitable et plus robuste.

Source : Oleksandra Budna : 647-278-7926 oleksandra.budna@aohc.org

AOHC welcomes Premier Wynne’s apology for Francophone policy failure

Date:

Monday, February 22, 2016

(TORONTO – February 22, 2016) The Association of Ontario Health Centres welcomes the apology Premier Kathleen Wynne delivered today to “all Franco-Ontarians, their communities and all those who suffered from Regulation 17.” In her speech, Premier acknowledged the obstacles that Francophones in Ontario have been facing in the past century and called this policy "a failure".

Regulation 17, passed by the Government of Premier James Whitney in 1912, limited the use of French as the language of instruction and communication to the first two years of elementary school. In 1913, it was amended, further limiting studies in French to just one hour per day. Although the regulation was repealed in 1927, it was not until 1968 that Ontario officially recognized French language schools.

“The practical impact of Regulation 17 was that at a time when Francophones represented ten percent of the population of Ontario, an entire generation was denied access to education in their mother tongue” according to Denis Constantineau, Executive Director of the Centre de santé communautaire du Grand Sudbury and initiator of the request for an apology. “This policy contributed to the assimilation of a large number of Francophones. Thousands of people lost their language, their culture and sense of identity. This has had a major impact on their health and wellbeing. Decades later we continue to feel the impact. ”

The Association of Ontario Health Centres, of which the Centre de Santé Communautaire du Grand Sudbury is a part, represents 108 primary health care centres across Ontario. As part of its anti-oppression framework, the association recognizes that Francophone communities have distinct histories, needs, legal rights and constitutionally-protected rights which must be reflected in public policies that demonstrate respect, inclusion, accountability and equity.

“Regulation 17 was a public policy that never should have happened,” says AOHC Chief Executive Officer Adrianna Tetley. “We’re pleased Premier Wynne has apologized for this very damaging chapter in the history of our province’s education system. This is an important first step. We urge the Premier to ensure that her government takes strong action to ensure all other provincially funded systems respond more effectively to the needs of Francophone populations. Our health system is another example where provincial policy currently falls short of ensuring Francophone equitable access to services.”

Later this month, the Association will submit its formal response to proposals from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care on measures to overhaul the delivery of health services. The Association will make the case that the current patchwork delivery of Francophone health services must be replaced with a more equitable and robust system.

Contact: Oleksandra Budna: 647-278-7926 oleksandra.budna@aohc.org

AOHC supports the fight for $15 and Fairness

Date:

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Over 100 people from AOHC members centres were part of the 800 health care workers across the province that signed a statement calling for changes in the laws that regulate employment. They are asking that all full time workers have at least seven paid sick days each year. At a Queen’s Park press conference on November 5th organized by AOHC, the statement was unveiled and Axelle Janzur, Executive Director of Access Alliance spoke about the ways that bad jobs are affecting people’s health. Later the petition was also personally presented to Minister Hoskins.

On November 19th representatives from Toronto CHCs joined other healthcare providers in public education actions.

See the full Storify below:

[<a href="//storify.com/AtkinsonCF/15andfairness-a-monthlong-snapshot-int0-a-growing-" target="_blank">View the story "No one wants to be sick, but everyone should be allowed to be" on Storify</a>]

Un nouveau programme de recherche portera sur les soins primaires pour les populations ayant des besoins complexes

Date:

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

TORONTO, le 2 décembre 2015 - L'Association des centres de santé de l'Ontario est heureuse d'annoncer la nomination de Dre Jennifer Rayner, une épidémiologiste innovante qui possède une vaste expérience de l'étude des soins primaires interprofessionnels. Dre Rayner mettra sur pied et dirigera un nouveau programme de recherche visant à développer les connaissances de la façon dont le système de soins primaires de l'Ontario peut mieux servir les populations vulnérables, une nécessité soulignée récemment par Qualité des services de santé Ontario dans son rapport sur ce secteur.

Le nouveau programme de recherche se penchera sur les services et les programmes offerts par les 109 centres membres de l'Association. Ces centres de santé communautaire, centres autochtones d'accès aux soins de santé, cliniques dirigées par du personnel infirmier praticien et équipes de santé familiale communautaire mettent tous l'accent sur les besoins des populations dont la santé est le plus à risque. Le mandat de Dre Rayner consiste à former des partenariats avec les universités et d'autres partenaires de recherche afin d'étudier la santé de ces populations à risque desservies par les membres de l'ACSO, et les services qui leur sont offerts.

« Un des défis les plus importants que doit relever notre système de santé, c'est de savoir comment améliorer la performance au service des gens et des communautés qui se heurtent à des obstacles à leur santé, explique Dre Rayner. Le programme de recherche de l'ACSO relèvera ce défi d'une manière très rigoureuse et systématique. Il traduira la science en pratique de sorte que les membres de l'Association puissent améliorer en permanence leurs façons de faire. Il peut aussi façonner l'évolution globale du mode de prestation des soins primaires de manière à répondre aux besoins des individus et des populations. »

L'ACSO prête un intérêt particulier à l'étude des caractéristiques du modèle de prestation de services de ses membres, axé sur la santé et le bien-être. Ce modèle applique une approche très complète de la prestation des soins primaires et présente des attributs qui, selon les chercheurs, seraient liés à une performance solide en matière de prestation de services.

« Nos membres présentent des caractéristiques uniques, affirme Adrianna Tetley, chef de la direction de l'ACSO. Ils sont gérés par la communauté et ils ont concentré leurs efforts sur les déterminants de la santé en appliquant une approche de développement communautaire. Notre nouveau programme de recherches nous renseignera sur l'impact de ces caractéristiques distinctives et comment nous pouvons continuer à les améliorer. »

Dre Rayner, qui est titulaire d'un doctorat en épidémiologie et en biostatistique de l'Université Western Ontario, a acquis une vaste expérience de travail avec des bases de données administratives et est l'auteure de plusieurs études importantes, notamment en collaboration avec l'Institut pour les sciences évaluatives cliniques (ISÉC).

« Jennifer Rayner a été une force motrice en Ontario pour rehausser les méthodes de mesure afin de soutenir l'amélioration de la recherche et de la qualité », explique DrRick Glazier, scientifique principal à l'ISÉC. « Ses principales contributions touchent le secteur des centres de santé communautaire (CSC), mais son influence et son engagement s'étendent à l'ensemble des soins primaires en Ontario. Son travail de pionnier sur le couplage des données et les profils de santé et de soins de santé des CSC ont contribué à démontrer que les CSC font un superbe travail de prestation de soins primaires qui couvre plusieurs des populations les plus vulnérables et marginalisées de la province. Son nouveau rôle de responsable de la recherche de l'ACSO lui donnera encore plus de latitude pour entreprendre des recherches et s'engager avec d'autres à faire progresser des recherches qui aboutiront à une meilleure santé pour toute la population. J'ai très hâte de collaborer avec elle dans ce nouveau rôle. »

Dre Rayner assume ses nouvelles responsabilités à la mi-janvier; toutefois, les membres de la communauté de la recherche peuvent la joindre maintenant à jennifer.rayner@aohc.org

Demandes de renseignements des médias : Mary MacNuttmarym@aohc.org416-236-2539 poste 233

New research program will investigate primary health care for populations with complex needs

Date:

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

(Toronto) - December 2, 2015- The Association of Ontario Health Centres is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jennifer Rayner, an innovative epidemiologist with extensive experience investigating interprofessional primary health care.

Dr. Rayner will develop and lead a new research program designed to build knowledge about how Ontario's primary health care system can do a better job serving vulnerable populations, a need recently highlighted by Health Quality Ontario in its report on the sector.

The new research program will investigate services and programs delivered by the Association's 109 member centres, which includes Community Health Centres, Aboriginal Health Access Centres, Nurse Practitioner-Led clinics and Community Family Health Teams, all of which focus on serving the needs of populations whose health is most at risk. Dr. Rayner's mandate is to establish partnerships with academia and other research partners in order to explore the health, and health care services, for these at risk populations served by AOHC members.

"One of the most important challenges our health system faces is how to improve performance serving people and communities that face barriers to health," says Dr. Rayner. "AOHC's research program will address this challenge in a very rigorous and systematic way. It will translate science into practice so the association's members can continuously improve what they do. It can also shape the overall evolution of how primary health care is delivered so that it meets the needs of individuals and populations."

AOHC is especially interested in exploring the unique attributes of its members' Health and Wellbeing service delivery model. The model applies a very comprehensive approach to primary health care delivery and features attributes that researchers have suggested may be linked to strong performance delivering services.

"Our members have some unique features," says Adrianna Tetley, AOHC Chief Executive Officer. "They are community-governed and they put a strong focus on the determinants of health by applying a community development approach. Our new research program will tell us more about the impact of these distinguishing features and how we can continue improving them."

Dr. Rayner, who holds a doctorate in epidemiology and biostatistics, from the University of Western Ontario has extensive experience working with administrative data bases, has authored several important research studies, several in collaboration with the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES).

"Jennifer Rayner has been a driving force in Ontario for improved measurement to support research and quality improvement," says Dr. Rick Glazier, an ICES Senior Scientist. "Her major contributions have been in the Community Health Centre (CHC) sector but her influence and engagement extend throughout all of primary care in Ontario. Her pioneering work on data linkages and CHC profiles of health and health care have helped to demonstrate that CHCs do a superb job in providing primary care that includes many of Ontario's most vulnerable and marginalized populations. Her new role as AOHC Research Lead will give her even more scope to undertake and engage with others in advancing research that will result in improved health for all Ontarians. I greatly look forward to working with her in this new role."

Dr. Rayner takes on her new role in mid-January however members of the research community can reach her now at jennifer.rayner@aohc.org.

Media enquiries: Mary MacNutt marym@aohc.org 416-236-2539 Ex: 233

As flu season begins, health care providers call for paid sick days for all Ontario workers

Date:

Thursday, November 5, 2015

TORONTO, November 5, 2015 – Over700 health workers across the province have signed a statement that calls for change in the laws that regulate employment. They are asking that all full time workers have at least seven paid sick days each year - pro-rated for part time workers.

Speaking at a Queen’s Park press conference today, Dr. Andrew Pinto, from Health Providers Against Poverty and St Michael’s Hospital, stated: “Flu season is now starting. As a public health specialist I know that infectious diseases like influenza can spread in workplaces. We tell our patients to stay home when sick. But many of the people I see are in low wage, temp jobs without sick leave benefits and cannot afford to take a day off without pay. People should not have to choose between going to work while sick and losing income –or worse, losing their job.”

Currently, no worker in Ontario has a legislated right to a paid sick day. In addition, more than 1.6 million workers have no access to job protected emergency leave and could be fired for taking a sick day.

“We’re seeing a growing trend toward more precarious work in Ontario. Research at our Community Health Centre has documented how bad jobs are affecting people’s health and making them sick. But without job protection under the Employment Standards Act, people have no choice but to go to work sick,” said Axelle Janczur, Executive Director, Access Alliance Community Health Centre in Toronto.

She talked about the recent case of a client who had a serious illness. The woman had vomited at her job in a bakery, but was unable to take any time off. Ms. Janczur added “We see an increasing number of clients coming to our Health Centre in very critical health conditions just because they could not take time off to recover or visit our Centre earlier.”

Dr. Danyaal Raza, a family physician at Sumac Creek Health Centre, St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and an advisory board member at Upstream, concluded: “This is an issue of equity. All workers should have access to sufficiently paid, job-protected sick leave to help them recover from illness without losing income, and to reduce the risk of infecting others.” Health care workers are also calling for changes so that employers not require medical notes as proof of illness.

“As health care providers we call on Premier Wynne and Labour Minister Flynn who are currently reviewing employment legislation to change the Employment Standards Act so that all workers in businesses, big and small, get at least seven paid sick days, pro-rated for part-time workers, with no requirement for a medical note,” said Dr Andrew Pinto.

Health Providers Against Poverty is a province wide alliance of health providers who are committed to addressing poverty as a health issue. The Association of Ontario Health Centres (AOHC) is Ontario’s voice for community-governed primary health care representing 109 Community Health Centres, Aboriginal Health Access Centres, Nurse Practitioner- Led Clinics and Community Family Health Teams. Upstream is a not-for-profit organization that works with the growing body of evidence on social determinants to guide recommendations for health policy change.

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-30- For further information contact: Jacquie Maund, Association of Ontario Health Centres jacquie@aohc.org Tel. 647-294-5724

Vaughan among first municipalities to measure quality of life using the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW)

Date:

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

TORONTO, November 3, 2015 – A report on quality of life in Vaughan, released today by a coalition of community stakeholders, reveals the fast-growing municipality has many strengths to build on but must also address important issues to ensure sustainable growth and optimal wellbeing.

The Vaughan Community Wellbeing Coalition, convened by the Vaughan Community Health Centre, prepared the report using the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW), a comprehensive measurement framework that tracks wellbeing with respect to eight quality of life domains.

The report is called Measuring What Matters and draws data from a wide range of sources. It shows that in Vaughan the average income is higher than the provincial average and the majority of residents have a post-secondary education. However, analysis of the data also reveals Vaughan has pockets of hidden poverty as people struggle with low wages and precarious employment. This is compounded by rising house prices and the need for more affordable rental units.

Read the full release on the Vaughan CHC website here>>