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Media Release - St. Catharines July21, 2010
Community Health Centre Interim Site Opening
(St. Catharines, ON - July 21, 2010)
The Greater St. Catharines Community Health Centre’s (GSCCHC) interim site is projected to open in December 2010, with construction beginning this August.
The Interim Site, located at 145 Queenston St., represents a very important step in a journey initiated by the St. Catharines community in 2007. It is the product of a collaborative effort on the part of residents, health and social service providers, the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network (HNHB LHIN) and the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. The interim site will offer a holistic approach to improving the health of individuals, families and communities. An interdisciplinary team of highly qualified physicians, nurse practitioners, health promoters, outreach workers, social workers and dieticians will address physical health needs as well as consider how health promotion, illness prevention, the social determinants of health, and community well-being all relate to the overall health of individuals.
George Kurzawa, Chair of the CHC Board points out that “Community Health Centres are a local strategy supportive of a research-based call to address all the social determinants of health. The overall goal is to ensure that each and every one of us has the capacity to live healthy lives.”
While interim site construction is underway the GSCCHC will be providing primary health care services at 145 Queenston St., suite 100 as well as through various points of service such as social service agencies and schools in St. Catharines.
“Community Health Centres play a vital role in Ontario’s health care system,” said Juanita Gledhill, chair of the HNHB LHIN. They are designed for people in our communities who experience barriers in accessing primary health care services. These barriers may be due to a variety of considerations including language, culture, income, isolation and others. Admission priority will be given to those residents who do not currently have a primary health care practitioner and to those who experience barriers.
The Greater St. Catharines CHC will serve the citizens of St. Catharines, with an emphasis on several priority populations indentified through an extensive community engagement process. These will include isolated seniors, sexually and gender diverse residents (lesbian, gay, and bisexual, transgender or LGBTQ), persons who are homeless/under-housed, people with mental health and addiction issues as well as concurrent disorders, and at risk children and youth.
Coletta McGrath, Executive Director for the Centre notes that “the interim site is a critical component of a longer term process that, thanks to funding from the current provincial government and the dedicated efforts of community members, will culminate in the opening of a permanent centre for St. Catharines in the future. In the meantime McGrath notes “access to primary health care will increase through suite 100 at 145 Queenston St., our points of service, and our interim site. They will serve as essential first steps as the GSCCHC continues to work towards our vision of a healthy and engaged community that participates, collaborates, celebrates and grows.”
Managed by a community-governed board of directors, CHCs are non-profit and funded by the LHIN, through the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
Media Release - St. Catharines April 30th, 2010
“Health Equity means better Health for all”
Friday, April 30th 2010 is Community Health Day across Ontario. The Greater St. Catharines Community Health Centre (GSCCHC), along with the 74 other Community Health Centre’s and the 10 Aboriginal Health Access Centres in Ontario, and the Association of Ontario Health Centres (AOHC) are inviting all Ontarians to observe Community Health Day. The day is celebrated annually on the last Friday in April. It’s purpose is to encourage people to reflect on the overall health of their communities as well as promote activities to enhance it.
This year the day will focus on Health Equity. This theme will also be spotlighted at the annual AOHC conference on June 10th and 11th, hosted in Niagara Falls. Community Health Centre’s (CHCs) from across the country, together with other health focused organizations will converge in the Niagara Region to share ideas, information and research on how to ensure that all Canadians have equal access to the health care and resources essential to healthy living.
CHCs meet the needs of their communities by delivering comprehensive primary health care services, building individual and community capacity, and integrating community-based programming. Established over 30 years ago in Ontario, the first wave of CHC’s were trend setting in their approach. Their wholistic model called for services to be delivered to their clients that would address the economic and social determinants of health. As additional CHC’s have come on board the model has continued to evolve, focusing on considerations such as income, social status, physical environment, education, employment, social environment/ supports, coping skills, healthy child development, culture, gender and access to health care.
It is well recognized that a population based approach to health promotion and health education is critical to ensuring the health and well being of our citizens. However, it cannot be our only strategy. This is because while many individuals in Ontario are well positioned to access and make use of information, incentives, programs, and services, clear evidence exists that less advantaged population groups are not. Research shows that their ability to do so is reduced considerably by the economic and social conditions in which they live, conditions that are quite different from the average individual, conditions that are also systemic and avoidable.
Health equity is about addressing those conditions and reducing and ultimately eliminating those differences. Coordination within sectors as well as cross-sectoral alignment at the policy, program development and service delivery levels are essential to achieving an equitable health system. Individuals working in policy, program development and service delivery need to adopt a planned equity-focused approach across each of those service sectors that directly or indirectly impact our health.
The world health organization calls on governments to lead global action on the social determinants of health as the road to achieving health equity. George Kurzawa, Chair of the GSCHC Board observes that “community health centres are a locally based strategy, supportive of that call. The GSCCHC is committed to serving residents in the Greater St. Catharines area who do not have a primary healthcare provider and commonly experience barriers to accessing healthcare. As a result of a comprehensive community engagement process the CHC has identified several target populations including isolated seniors, sexually and gender diverse residents (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or LGBTQ), persons who are homeless/under-housed, and people with mental health/addiction issues, as well as at-risk children and youth.”
Coletta McGrath, Executive Director of the GSCCHC points out that “If as a city we are committed to ensuring that everyone has the capacity to live healthy lives, we must also be committed to collaboratively addressing issues such as access to opportunities for employment, good housing, healthy food, and coping skills, to name a few. It is critical that we explore together what health really means to the variety of residents living in our city’s neighbourhoods.”
Our capacity to successfully accomplish this across the region has become greater given the establishment of three new CHCs in the area. The Greater St. Catharines CHC, Niagara Falls CHC, and Bridges CHC in Fort Erie & Port Colborne, in addition to the preexisting Centre de Sante Communautaire Hamilton/Niagara mean that the Niagara Region now has a critical mass of interdisciplinary health services dedicated to improving access and health for some of the areas most vulnerable populations. Many positive outcomes can be accomplished “in communities–by communities” as the CHC’s contribute to the ongoing development of a healthy and prosperous Niagara Region
News Release - New Executive Director
March 3, 2008 Thorold News
Health centre talks reveal gaps insystem
Thorold and St. Catharines residents in dire need of health care often can't afford transportation to a doctor's office, or have so many health concerns physicians refuse to see them.
Non-English speaking and other socially disenfranchised populations also have trouble accessing that care due to language barriers or stigma.
These are the challenges the Steering Committee of the new Greater St. Catharines Community Health Centre are facing as it fights to bring a 'one-stop-shop' for healthcare to Niagara. At public consultations held last week in Thorold and St. Catharines, residents, local organizations and the committee gathered to identify the gaps in the healthcare system and the priorities that should be considered as the centre is built.
The centre is to serve residents who have problems accessing the current health care systems and its services. It's also for those who do not have a family physician. Health care and treatment, as well as services that promote health and illness prevention, will be offered.
Much of the feedback from last week's meetings confirmed what the steering committee has found already, said George Kurzawa, Steering Committee Chair. The big question is how the centre will fill the gaps in the health care system.
"There's not absolutely no service in certain areas, but there are gaps in terms of mental health services and the doctor shortage. Another big issue is dealing with people with complex health problems, such as our homeless populations with substance abuse problems, or patients with diabetes, that often end up using emergency services. It's important for (the centre) to serve that complex group."
Ongoing care for those patients and "outreach programs" that would provide care to the vulnerable homeless are priorities, along with a transportation program that would compensate for the lack of an integrated municipal system by providing bus passes or volunteer drivers. Transportation was identified as "priority number one," he said.
As of 2004, there were 75 family physicians for every 100,000 in the Hamilton Niagara area, lower than the provincial rate of 86 physicians per 100,000. Many are expected to retire. People in poverty, the homosexual population and those with mental health problems or addictions often do not have doctors or experience discrimination within the system, stated a report distributed by the Steering Committee at the meetings. Those with many overlapping health problems are often refused care by over-worked physicians. Those people as well as children and non-english speaking patients are in greatest need of primary health care.
"Another big challenge will be finding out what we don't do - who do we not serve as a priority? That will be a big decision."
In contract to the weaknesses of the healthcare system, the community health centre will draw on a number of strengths - a new local hospice, the Niagara Region's Public Health department and its programs, a new hospital for the Niagara Health System and social services, said JoAnn Theobald, Vice Chair of the committee. She added, many organizations have expressed interest in partnerships.
The centre is anticipated to open in 2009. Its location, and whether it will be built on a new site or within a renovated building, is yet to be decided. The Steering Committee will start its planning after it submits its final report to the Niagara Haldimand Brant LHIN at the end of March.
The report will make recommendations regarding which populations will be served, key services, staffing and structure.
November 7, 2007 St. Catharines Standard
Community health centre plans moving along; Facility will help marginalized patients
Plans are progressing for a community health centre serving marginalized patients in the St. Catharines area, say organizers. The steering committee behind the centre has hired a consultant to identify which programs and services it should provide. "That means engaging the community every possible way, including the homeless who may not have a phone or a computer," said George Kurzawa, chairman of the Greater Niagara Community Health Centre Steering Committee.
People can find out more about community health centres at a public meeting in St. Catharines Thursday night. Kurzawa, executive director of the Niagara branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, will speak at the event. The goal of community health centres is to reach patients who typically have a difficult time accessing traditional health care, such as the homeless, disabled and newcomers to the country.
The province initially announced the creation of 22 of the centres two years ago, including ones planned for St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Fort Erie/Port Colborne. In addition to physicians, the centres are staffed by nurses, dietitians, social workers and a variety of other health professionals, depending on the needs of the community.
Kurzawa said he expects the consultation process in the St. Catharines area to take about six months. Once it's complete, the steering committee will have a better idea of what kinds of services to provide, where to locate the centre and when it might open its doors, he said. Thursday's public meeting, organized by the St. Catharines and District Council of Women, begins at 8 p.m. at the St. Catharines Centennial Public Library. Speakers include Kurzawa and Renni Piscitelli, who chairs the Niagara Falls community health centre organizing committee.
MISSION: The Greater St. Catharines CHC enables all of our citizens to achieve health,
community and a sense of value.
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