In the midst of B.C.B次元官网网址檚 housing and opioid crisis, VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Cool Aid Society hosted international social and health care specialists for the 2018 Canada-U.S. Community Health Centres Summit.
B次元官网网址淭his is an opportunity for leaders from community health centres across Canada and the U.S. to come together to talk about common challenges and opportunities we face, in delivering community-based integrative primary health care services to people,B次元官网网址� said Grey Showler, director of health and supportive services for the Cool Aid Society and president of the B.C. Association for Community Health Centres.
Topics covered included shared struggles such as the opioid crisis, inequalities to access to health care and the low number of people in both countries that have a family doctor.
READ MORE:
B次元官网网址淔unding is different in both countries, but delivery of the services can often look similar,B次元官网网址� Showler continued. B次元官网网址淚n terms of boots on the ground, what are the nurses and doctors and physiotherapists and dietitians doing, how do they work together to offer these services?B次元官网网址�
Community Health Centre representatives from six Canadian provinces and 14 northern American states were in attendance, as well as B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix.
B次元官网网址淚 think when people work together in teams, when you have doctors and nurse practitioners and social workers working together, that has the potential to provide better service,B次元官网网址� Dix said. B次元官网网址淐ommunity health centres are important B次元官网网址� They better reflect the needs of that particular community; they have an organizational basis in that community which is strong, important and lasting.B次元官网网址�
READ MORE:
Dix added that in the past, the government has not been particularly supportive of community health centres, but that they are trying to change that, by stepping away from a system reliant on fee for service payment.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e hiring 200 physicians to support this plan, and those will be almost entirely alternate payment doctors, meaning not fee for service. Two hundred nurse practitioners, and 50 pharmacists who play a critical role in primary care,B次元官网网址� Dix said. B次元官网网址淎ll of that will be supports both for existing and new primary care networks developing around the province.B次元官网网址�
Dix noted that the province is looking to open new community health centres, including one recently established in Kamloops, and two others planned for Surrey and VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Capital Regional District.
For front-line workers the most difficult obstacle has been to secure funding to keep the community health centres going. In 2018 the Ministry of Health announced $2.3 million towards community health centres, but more guarantees are needed.
B次元官网网址淭he B.C. Association of Community Health Centres is currently working with the Ministry of Health to secure ongoing core funding,B次元官网网址� Showler said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 our sincere hope, and weB次元官网网址檙e encouraged by discussions with the Minister of Health that weB次元官网网址檒l work with those communities to provide services.
He added, B次元官网网址�$2 million is a lot of money B次元官网网址� But not a lot when youB次元官网网址檙e talking about health care services spread among our 16 members; it was helpful but just a start.B次元官网网址�
Like us on and follow us on
