Report Released

Determining the Big Picture:  The Results of the Discovery Zone Needs Assessment is available here.  Thanks to all who participated in this needs assessment.

Report Release

The community health needs assessment, Determining the Big Picture:  The Results of the Discovery Zone Community Health Needs Assessment, will be released on April 5 in Bonavista and April 6 in Clarenville and Come-By-Chance.  The report will be available on Eastern Health's website at http://www.easternhealth.ca/ and at public librairies.  For more information, contact Lisa Browne at lisa.browne@easternhealth.ca

Report Release

Our needs assessment report will be unveiled in April 2011.  More information will be posted once the date and locations of the release are confirmed.

Cancer Control Strategy Unveiled

One of the things that we heard during the needs assessment was peoples' concern about chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes.  People want to know that Eastern Health and the province are actively working to address high rates of chronic disease in this area.  Yesterday, the provincial government unveiled a provincial cancer control strategy entitled Gaining Ground: A Provincial Cancer Control Policy Framework for Newfoundland and Labrador.  The goal of the strategy is to reduce the incidence and impact of cancer and to improve the quality of life of those living with cancer in Newfoundland and Labrador.  You can read all about the strategy here.

November - A Look at Diabetes

November is Diabetes Awareness Month.  And November 14 is World Diabetes Day.

Did you know that our province of Newfoundland and Labrador has the highest rate of diabetes in Canada? 

According to the 2008 Canadian Community Health Survey, 8.1% of the population over the age of 12 reported being diagnosed by a health professional as having diabetes.  Within our province, that figure is 8.8% while nationally, 5.9% of respondents reported receiving that diagnosis.

During the needs assessment process, many people expressed concern about chronic diseases, particularly diabetes.  They worry about the high rates and indicated a desire to ensure education sessions are available to people in their communities around topics like healthy eating.

Eastern Health Releases Annual Performance Report

Eastern Health recently released its Annual Performance Report. Read all about the things that are happening in our organization.  Needs assessments are just one component!

Impact of Hurricane Igor

Little did we realize that Hurricane Igor would have effected us so severely.  It had a major impact on the communities within the Discovery Zone, the area covered by our needs assessment.  While it is likely that the ramifications of Hurricane Igor will be felt for a long time, it is impossible to speculate on what that impact will be.  All primary research and findings related to this needs assessment were completed prior to Hurricane Igor.  As always, the people of this area, responded to Hurricane Igor with resilience and grace!

Igor: You're a Barrier!

While speaking with people in the Discovery Zone about the barriers that stop them from accessing health and community services, transportation is most often cited.  Whether it's no access to public transportation, lack of private transportation operators (such as taxis) or lack of access to a car, transportation can be a big impediment for people who must travel for services.  Today, we are getting an example of another barrier - weather!  Hurricane Igor is making himself known in this area and some people with appointments in the health and community services sector, will probably not be able to make those appointments.  

Looking at Gender as a Determinant of Health

One of the determinants of health is gender.  Gender can impact our health due to various attitudes, behaviours, values and relative power that society gives to the two genders. Many health issues are a function of gender-based social status or roles. 

Women and men have different health issues and can be impacted by the same issues in different ways. Heart disease, for example, affects men and women differently.

Some issues are gender specific. For example, cervical screening for women is an important tool to help detect cancer. For the Bonavista Peninsula (defined as from Chance Cove to Bonavista) the screening rate for 2009 was 30%. The map of the Bonavista Peninsula shows that cervical screening rates in this area are low.

One person who is trying to address this issue is Dr. Roxanne Cooper who has converted a mobile trailer into a travelling Mobile Pap clinic.  Check our her story in NEXUS, the NL Medical Association's newsletter and join her Facebook group where you can also see photos of the trailer (one photo pictured here).

Speaking with Staff

To end the primary research component of information gathering for the needs assessment, we have been speaking with Eastern Health staff.  Small discussion groups have been held today and will continue tomorrow with the final one on Monday.  Much of the discussion is similar to the comments that we've heard from people in the community.  A draft report will be provided to the needs assessment Steering Committee for their input at the end of September. 

Speaking with Specialists

As one of the last focus groups with the needs assessment, we met with the specialist physicians at the Dr. G.B. Cross Memorial Hospital.  We asked them about what's working well in the region, what are the challenges and what makes a community healthy.  We also took the opportunity to talk about some of the things we've been hearing throughout the needs assessment process.  One of the comments we hear throughout the process was concern about the recruitment and retention of specialists.  People want to be reassured that there is significant effort being made into recruitment and retention.  They also acknowledge that there are a number of partners involved in ensuring that once new physicians come to a new area, they feel welcomed and valued. 

Fetal Alcohol Awareness Day

Today, September 9, is Fetal Alcohol Awareness Day.  Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a term that describes a range of disabilities that may affect people whose mothers drank alcohol while they were pregnant.  The Public Health Agency of Canada has a lot of information about this spectrum disorder. 

Today is an opportunity to increase public awareness about the dangers and implications of drinking alcohol while pregnant.  It's also an opportunity to make people aware of the challenges that people with FASD face.  FASD is not something we heard about during the needs assessment process.  For many people, however, it is a reality of their daily life.

A Look at Literacy

Well, August has been a nice long break.  But work continues on the needs assessment with an end in sight!  Today, September 7 is International Literacy Day.  While in North America in general, literacy rates are very high, there are pockets where there is not the case.  Literacy has come up in the needs assessment in a couple of ways.  The whole concept of "health literacy" understanding what a health care professional is saying to you and understanding what and why you are taking medications has been raised as an issue.  This is particularly the case for seniors.  Also related to seniors and literacy is the concept of elder abuse with some examples given of seniors who aren't literate being asked to sign something which takes away their ownership of something.  Can you think of ways that literacy impacts on your health?

Northeast Avalon Needs Assessment Released

Yesterday, Eastern Health released the Northeast Avalon Community Health Needs Assessment.  This assessment began last year.  The report is quite different from the one that's developing on the Discovery Zone.  The population of the Northeast Avalon is much larger and is was necessary to focus on the top three themes that came out of the telephone survey.  You can read about the Northeast Avalon report here.

Pictured we have the President and CEO Vickie Kaminski, Chair of Eastern Health's Board of Trustees, Michael O'Keefe and Planning Specialist Gillian Janes who was project manager.  Speaking is Sondria Browne who served on the Community Advisory Committee.

Conversations with Health Care Providers

More conversations are ongoing with health care providers.  In addition to having insight from the people they serve in the health and community services system, they are also residents of the area.  Our conversations have been enlightening and a great learning opportunity. 

Speaking with Health Care Providers

Over the past couple of days, I've been speaking with some health care providers about the needs assessment.  We discuss the questions that I have been asking all focus groups and we also discuss some of the themes that have been coming out of the primary research to date.  We have a couple more of these sessions to hold and organize and then our primary research will be completed.

Mental Health Association Looking for Board Members

Mental health is something we've heard a lot about during the needs assessment.  The Canadian Mental Health Association of Newfoundland and Labrador is currently seeking board members to fill some vacancies.  Information about duties and how to apply can be found here.

An Update

It's summer but we're still working away on the needs assessment.  Upcoming we have a meeting with the family physicians in the area and we will be speaking with staff and the Clarenville offices and specialists at the Dr. G.B. Cross Memorial Hospital.  Towards the end of July, we have meetings set up with our Advisory Committee and our Steering Committee.  Themes are pretty consistent now and the challenge of coming up with recommendations is underway.

The Weather Blues

Today is the first day in a while that we've seen the sun.  It really seems to be impacting on people.  There's lots of talk about people feeling tired and not quite having a spring in their step.  Weather, like a lot of things, has a big impact on our health.  From our mental health and well-being to vitamin D levels it all has an impact.  Of course, too much sun is also not healthy.  Like everything, we need to achieve a balance. 

The Relationship with the School System

One of the themes arising from the needs assessment is the emphasis that must be placed on youth and their health and well-being.  In particular, people who participated in the needs assessment process spoke about the need for strong collaborative relationships between the school system and the health system.  Arising from this theme, we will be meeting with the Eastern School District-Eastern Health Liaison Committee to discuss some of the findings and talk about possible solutions.