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.

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. 

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.

Focus Groups Continuing in Clarenville Area

Focus groups are continuing in the Clarenville area.  Some sessions have good turn outs and others have small turn outs but regardless of numbers, people definitely have things to say!  It's really nice to hear conversations flowing and people discussing things amongst themselves.  It makes for great listening!

Meeting with Health Care Providers

We had a great meeting with family practitioners and nurse practitioners in Bonavista last night.  Participants were very thoughtful in their comments.  They have a wealth of knowledge about their communities and some of the strengths and weaknesses in the communities. Bonavista area is fortunate to have dedicated health care providers!

Focus Groups: A Rose by Another Name?

Sunday is the start of a number of focus group sessions that will occur over the next couple of weeks.  In addition to inviting representatives from community groups to participate, we are also having focus group sessions with family practitioners.  So what is a focus group?  Is the terminology a little intimidating?  Essentially, a focus group is a chat with a small group of people.  Most often it's with a group of 6-10 people.  The facilitator of the discussion has a number of questions and then listens as the people in attendance chat amongst themselves.   There are no right or wrong answers.  Generally, the purpose of a focus group is to get peoples' opinions.  So if you get an invite, come on along!  Or if you haven't received an invitation but would like to attend a focus group (and you are a resident of the Discovery Zone), e-mail needsassessment@easternhealth.ca.

Getting There

We've just set up a number of focus group sessions.  From June 13 to June 22, we'll be holding 8 focus groups.  Some of these will be with family physicians only.  For others, we have invited community stakeholders/partners, health providers in the community and municipal leaders to attend.  Hopefully, we will get good turnout.  The more feedback we have, the better we will be able to respond to concerns. 

After this round of focus groups, we'll spend some time talking to physicians in our acute care and long-term care facilities and staff in this region. 

Optimism in Norman's Cove-Long Cove/Chapel Arm Area

Our discussion with community partners in the Norman's Cove-Long Cove/Chapel Arm area oozed with optimism!  The community is very proud of all of the services available in the area and in particular, with the strong levels of volunteerism in their communities.  One participant indicated that entire families volunteer to make things happen in the community.  They also spoke about the positive impacts of the Vale Inco work that is ongoing in the Long Harbour area.  They feel that retail outlets are benefiting and many homeowners are renting or boarding workers so there's an economic impact for them as well.

A Visit to Norman's Cove-Long Cove

At a focus group at Norman's Cove-Long Cove last night, community members talked about aging communities and the impact that it has on people and a community as a whole.  They also spoke about a vibrant voluntary sector and the importance that volunteers bring to a community.  People are proud of the services they have available in their town:  from Moving 4 Health to square dancing to cadets to walking trails. We had a good discussion about health concerns in the area.  Last night was a beautiful evening and it was wonderful for these people to come out to talk about the health of their community.

Talking with Municipal Leaders in the Isthmus Area

Last night's discussion with municipal leaders in the Isthmus area went very well.  Much of the discussion was focused on family doctors.  Currently, the Isthmus area has two family doctors and communities are concerned with recruitment of new physicians when and if the two current physicians retire.  The municipal leaders in the room felt that this will have a major impact on their communities and the quality of life available to citizens.

Headed to the Isthmus

More focus groups today and then again on Thursday evening.  We are now focused on the Isthmus area of the Discovery Zone.  Today, we are having sessions with community partners and tonight with municipal leaders.  On Thursday, it's another session with community partners.   We try to provide different times, locations and dates to get as many people as possible.  The most we've had in a focus group was 16 and the smallest was 1 so there is quite a range!  We'll see what today brings!

Municipal Leaders Focus Group in Musgravetown

Only the Deputy Mayor of Musgravetown came out to the Municipal Leaders Focus Group held last night in Musgravetown.  We had a good chat about the positives in the community as well as the challenges. 

The positives in the area are pretty easy to see.  Driving through Bloomfield and Musgravetown you can certainly see lots of sign of activity.  Last night was a beautiful evening and lots of people were out walking.  There are several new houses that have just recently been built or are still in process.  Holloway's Grocery Store was busy. 

One of the challenges referenced by the Deputy Mayor is the fact that the community no longer has a physician who practices in the community.  In particular, he indicated this had been a hardship on seniors in the area.

We had a good chat about other challenges.  It's always great to speak with someone passionate about his community.

A Visit to King's Cove

The beautiful community of King's Cove was the site of a great focus group this afternoon.  Fifteen people gathered at the Knights of Columbus hall for discussion about the strengths and challenges in their community and positives and concerns about the health and community services system.

People at the session had lots to say and we were very happy to listen.  Many of the same themes that we heard at focus group sessions were referenced. 

The group wanted to know what would happen with the report once it was completed.  This is a very important question.  In the past, the Board of Trustees has asked for progress reports on the status of the recommendations every 6 months and committed to coming back to the community two years after the release of the report to provide an update on the recommendations.  This built in accountability is very important.

A Visit to a Family Resource Centre

Family Resource Centres have received a lot of mention during the needs assessment process.  Throughout the region, people see them as one of our greatest strengths.  The Discovery Zone has two Family Resource Centres:  The Vista Family Resource Centre and The Neighbourhood of Friends.

We have invited representatives from both organizations to speak with us about the health needs of the area.  Last week, we met with the Neighbourhood of Friends.  During our session, they spoke a lot about the challenges throughout the region, particularly in terms of the increasingly wide gulf between the rich and the poor.  They talked about how difficult it is for families to eat healthy foods on fixed incomes and they spoke about the challenges trying to access certain services due to a number of reasons, from wait lists to knowing what services are available to literacy challenges.

Speaking with the Youth Protocol Committee

The Discovery Zone has a Youth Protocol Committee.  Membership comes from the Community Youth Networks, Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment, Service Canada, Eastern Health, Eastern School District, Discovery Regional Development Board, Ability Employment Corporation, Eastern Regional Committee Against Violence and the Random North Development Corporation among others. The committee's mandate is to: 

Work collaboratively as federal, provincial and local stakeholders to develop a process for addressing employment challenges faced by youth in Newfoundland and Labrador.  We strive to: • Create opportunities for youth to define and develop the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to participate in the labour market; • Increase work opportunities for youth; • Help youth respond to the changing nature of work; • Address cultural and social barriers in order to facilitate youth employment.

During the focus group session, one of the comments made was the importance of integrating youth in things around the community.  We need to get to the point where their involvement is asked for and encouraged.  What you have a community event, do you make a special effort to include youth in the process and the event? 

Speaking with the Bonavista Area Primary Health Care Advisory Committee

Several years ago, a primary health care initiative was established in the Bonavista area.  As part of that initiative, an advisory committee was established.  The committee us made up of people who live on the Bonavista Peninsula from the Barbour Bridge to Bonavista.  Because of their involvement in health issues in the area, we held a focus group session with this group.

This group is very in tune with the determinants of health and have organized a number of events that bring people of different generations together to focus on creating a healthy community.

Talking with Staff

Throughout the needs assessment process, we also invite staff to participate in the process.  In Bonavista last week, we invited staff to take part in a focus group to get their opinions about the health of their communities.  Staff are not only active participants in their communities, they also see the health needs from their clients/patients/residents' perspective.  They are invaluable sources of information!

In the Bonavista Area

Yesterday's focus groups in Bonavista and Port Union went well.  We had sessions with health providers, the Bonavista Area Primary Health Care Advisory Committee and community partners. 

During the community partners session, in particular, I was struck by how much people appreciated the opportunity to have a say into the health needs of their communities and how much they value the importance of working together to improve the health of communities.  It was a very snowy night and it was great to see that people made the effort to have their say and to participate in the process.