Still in Planning Mode

Most work related to the needs assessment has to do with laying the groundwork to proceed.  We are gathering information about various groups in the region who may be good representatives for focus groups or key informants.  Next week, we will be reviewing the applications for the Advisory Committee. 

Of course, the Discovery Zone needs assessment isn't the only needs assessment currently ongoing.  The Northeast Avalon needs assessment is being drafted and it will be interesting to see the findings from that report.

Community Spotlight: Port Blandford

Port Blandford is a beautiful little community next to Terra Nova National Park.   It has its history in the railway.  The town has a population of 535 (2006 Census) down from 580 (a decline of 7.8%).  The 2006 income for every man, woman, and child (personal income per capita) in Port Blandford was $22,000. For the province, personal income per capita was $22,900. After tax personal income per capita, adjusted for inflation, was $14,700 for Port Blandford in 2006. For the province it was $14,900 (Statistical information taken from Community Accounts).

Census 2006 reported 44.4% of people 18 to 64 years of age in Port Blandford do not have a high school diploma compared to 25.1% of people in the entire province.



Many people in the province are familiar with the Town of Port Blandford thanks to the Twin Rivers Golf Course and its proximity to the National Park. 

Advisory Committee Deadline Passed

Thanks to the people who applied to sit on the Advisory Committee for the Discovery Zone Needs Assessment.  The deadline for applying was on Friday, February 5.  The next step is for the Steering Committee (made up of Eastern Health staff and managers) to review the applications in order to create a committee that represents the various determinants of health.  Thanks very much to all those who applied!

Determinants of Health Close to Home

In the past few weeks, lunch hour at at least one Eastern Health office in Clarenville sees a number of employees grab their sneakers and head to the Events Centre for a few laps around the track. 

Not only is this great exercise, it also fosters social supports (they have great chats as they go around) and excerise is a great personal health practice as a way of coping with stress. 

The Heart of the Community in Come-By-Chance

To officially launch our needs assessment, Eastern Health recently held meetings in three areas in the region.  At one of these meetings, the Mayor of Come-By-Chance, Joan Cleary, took the opportunity to show us around the Town Hall and talk about some of the innovative things happening in her area. 

The upstairs part of the Town Hall includes a post office, the offices and council chambers associated with the Town of Come-By-Chance, Eastern Health's community health clinic and a General Practicioner's office (Dr. Pete Cleary). 

Downstairs, the Family Resource Centre has an area for their use.  There's a recreation centre (pictured above) which includes two big screen TVs (so there's no arguments over watching TV versus playing games!) Snacks and drinks are available for purchase.  The area also includes pool tables and they host various events.

And finally, there's a gym for use by people in the community.  Those who have signed up to participate get a key so that they can access the gym facility at any time.

This Town Hall is truly the centre of the community!  In one building, there's a focus on a lot of determinants of health:  health services, seniors/youth/teens, social support networks, healthy child development and social environment.  In the future, we will have a posting about some of the great stuff that this town offers its citizens.

Bringing the Determinants of Health to Life

So where do we see the determinants of health in action? 

Last night, on the local news, there was a segment about the central Newfoundland town of South Brook.  Their claim to fame is the commitment they have to losing weight (over 700 pounds lost by townspeople to date).  They also learn about healthy eating, have set up a gym in the firehall and tacked up their swimsuits on the wall for motivation.  Participants who were interviewed spoke about feeling empowered and how they help to motivate each other. 

Here we have a number of determinants of health at work. The involvement of many people in the town means that there is a strong Social Support Network in place.  People encourage each other to get out and walk or go to the gym.  The Social Environment is at play because the whole community has come together to support this initiative.  In fact, the gym in the firehall is made up of exercise equipment donated from people in the town.   Participants decided to take part in this initiative and consequently, through their own  Personal Health Practices and Coping Skills are having an impact on their health.  You could also say that Healthy Child Development is at work; people probably have more energy and may be in a better mood and they are serving as great role models for their children.

Looking at the Determinants of Health Perspective

During the needs assessment process, we speak a lot about the determinants of health.  In 1974, A New Perspective on the Health of Canadians (the Lalonde Report) promoted the idea that the health and well-being of Canadians involves more than the health care system.  The report suggested that adoption of healthier lifestyles and improvements in the social and phhiscial environments in which people live would be the principal means of improving the health of Canadians.  That report established a framework for the key factors that determine health status. 

A 1986 report, Achieving Health for All:  A Framework for Health Promotion, expanded on the 1974 report and helped to focus  society on the underlying prerequisites or determinants of health and illness.  It suggested that a number of influences and their interaction had major impacts on the health and well-being of a population.  Factors such as social, economic, cultural and physical environment play a role - for better or worse - in the health of a community.  This means that making improvements in the health and well-being of Canadians must go beyond delivery of health care services and include action on the broad determinants of health.  This is why we like to form our needs assessment advisory committee on the determinants of health and our needs assessment report looks at the deteminants of health of a report, not just the health services available.