July 22, 2015
Agencies unite to improve health care for Calgary's vulnerable
Community health agency members, AHS professionals, and university representatives at a town hall.
Pablo Fernandez, University of Calgary
Calgary’s list of community organizations working to improve the well-being of the city’s vulnerable populations is far-reaching; for example: the Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre, Alpha House, and CUPS.
But what could these groups achieve if they had a single platform where they could work and collaborate? The Cumming School of Medicine hopes to provide an answer.
Brainstorming for ideas
The school played an important facilitative role by co-organizing a town hall and bringing together members of these inner city health agencies to share information, learn about inner city health initiatives for Calgary’s underserved residents, and brainstorm ideas, says Jennifer Hatfield, PhD, associate dean, Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement (SPaCE) and event co-organizer.
"It was an honour and a great pleasure to host the dedicated people who work so hard to address the needs of those individuals in our community who have complex health challenges,” said Hatfield, an O’Brien Institute for Public Health member.
“The Cumming School wants to play its part in supporting the remarkable efforts that are already underway and we hope to do much more to engage with and support those who wish to build partnerships and strengthen collaborations.”
Jennifer Hatfield, associate dean, addresses inner city agencies.
Pablo Fernandez, University of Calgary
Groups have common interests
Heather MacIntosh, SPaCE manager with the Cumming School of Medicine, and event co-organizer, said the networking opportunity and the information sharing amongst the agencies was very valuable.
“There was a lot of common interest centering around a few key challenges, resulting in some fundamental strategies which will create momentum for collaboration on some of these initiatives,” says MacIntosh, an O’Brien Institute for Public Health affiliate.
Two of several priority strategies identified by the working groups were completing an inner city agencies needs assessment, and establishing a platform for aboriginal health dialogue.
Unveiling of Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement
The town hall was the inaugural event of the Cumming School of Medicine’s Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement, a local and global initiative which emphasizes community outreach, co-operation and communication.
The EMS Community Health and Pre-Hospital Support (CHAPS) Co-ordinated Care Program, which aims to reduce the number of 9-1-1 calls and trips to hospital by connecting seniors and vulnerable patients to existing health and support programs and services, is one of the agencies that took part in the town hall.
“The town hall brought people who are genuinely interested in better serving the vulnerable population together in one place,” says Amy Barton, CHAPS patient navigator.
“It created a new community of partners who are brilliant and creative and, through a casual environment, allowed everyone to listen, ask questions and share ideas.”
Sixty-nine people from a variety of organizations and industries attended the event.
Pablo Fernandez, University of Calgary
Growing interest in patient-centred care
Barton says CHAPS, a partnership between the EMS Quality and Patient Safety Department, the University of Calgary’s Department of Family Medicine, various Alberta Health Services departments, and other groups, is one of many agencies joining the growing movement for patient-centered care in the province.
Rita Henderson, PhD, in the Department of Community Health Sciences says the town hall falls under the Cumming School of Medicine’s mandate to increase research and educational partnerships beyond campus.
“One thing that we noticed during the town hall is that these community organizations have similar questions about the populations they’re working with and often some of their projects are parallel,” said Henderson, an O’Brien Institute member.”
Cumming School fosters collaboration
“We see the Cumming School of Medicine as a platform to work through these questions and foster sustainable partnerships and collaboration.”
Henderson said the participants plan to remain connected and work toward an enhanced partnership between inner city agencies and the Cumming School of Medicine.
Sixty-nine people, including representatives from the Cumming School of Medicine, eight inner city agencies, 17 Alberta Health Services programs, and other partners, attended the event.