Community Matters

On this episode of the podcast, I am joined by Sandra Bodenhamer, Executive Director, and Nilam Khoja, Manager at RISE Community Health Centre, in Vancouver BC. RISE Community Health Centre made systems navigating easier by implementing technology to allow virtual appointment bookings. with project funding from CACHC under the association's Systems Navigation Access Partnership (SNAP) Project.

On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Elaine Capes, Director of Shared Services at ASSOCIUM and Joanne Hillier National Print and Managed Print Services Specialist of Grand and Toy. To learn more about ASSOCIUM GAIN and the VIP program, visit www.cachc.ca/VIP.

On this episode of Community Matters, we speak with Phoebe Tung, Regional Air Quality and Health Specialist with Health Canada, Environmental Health Program. For Wildfire resources in English: canada.ca/wildfiresmoke Pour des resosurces sur la fumée des feux de forêts en français: canada.ca/fumeefeuxdeforet

On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Jeremy Mailloux, Senior Manager of Development at AVI Health and Community Services on Vancouver Island, BC. To honour World Hepatitis Day, recognized on July 28th, we discuss the work AVI Health and Community Services has done to bring awareness and education around this virus.

On this episode, I am joined by I am joined by Shannon Milks, Chronic Disease Coordinator, Michelle Kirkbride, Community Development Coordinator, Kristin Bergen, Director of Primary Care at NorWest Co-Op Community Health, a Community Health Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. NorWest Co-Op CHC’s mission is to engage their community in cooperative health and wellness. Today we will be discussing their work during COVID-19 pandemic and the project they completed made possible as recipients of the Community Vaccination Promotion project made possible with funding by PHAC.

On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Hamna Mughal, Pandemic Response Coordinator and Abdul Rashid Athar, lead Community Health Ambassador at Flemingdon Community Health Centre in Toronto, Ontario. We discuss their various efforts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including their activities under CACHC's CVP-National project, made possible with funding from PHAC.

On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Julie Genzel, Director of Primary Care at Centretown Community Health Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. We discuss their various efforts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including their activities under CACHC's CVP-National project, made possible with funding from PHAC.

On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Trish McCourt, Executive Director at Tri-County Women’s Centre, a Community Health Centre in Yarmouth, NS. In Canada, we recognize April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. While we will not be discussing these topics in immense detail, we do want to give a content warning that these subjects will be discussed broadly.

On this episode of the podcast, I am joined by Irene Santos, Health Promotion Program Coordinator at Umbrella Multicultural Health Co-Op, a Community Health Centre in New Westminster BC,. Umbrella Multicultural Health Co-Op participated in diverse vaccine promotion and delivery activities with project funding from CACHC under the association's Community Vaccine Promotion (CVP-National) Project, funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

On this episode of Community Matters, we speak with Tricia Smith, Executive Director at Radius Community Health and Healing, a Community Health Centre in Edmonton, AB. Radius Community Health and Healing was founded in 1979 and was the first Community Health Centre established in Alberta. The CHC was recently renamed, and some of our listeners may know the centre by its previous name, Boyle McCauley Health Centre.

On this episode of the podcast, we discuss CACHC's Community Vaccination Promotion (CVP-National Project) with Iwo Effiong, Project Manager and Ayesha Khan, Knowledge Translation Specialist. The CVP-National Project has been made largely possible by funding from the Government of Canada through the Public Health Agency of Canada.

On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Carlene Donnelly, Executive Director at CUPS Calgary, a Community Health Centre in Calgary, Alberta as well as Dr. Nicole Letourneau, Research Chair of Parent and Child Mental Health and Professor at University of Calgary who created the ATTACH Parenting Program being implemented at CUPS Calgary. To learn more visit: www.attach.teachable.com and www.cupscalgary.com

On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Janice Abbott, CEO at Atira Women’s Resource Society, a women’s antiviolence organization and Community Health Centre. We explore the important work they are doing as we honour December 6th, National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Chance Dupuis from Nine Circles Community Health Centre, in Winnipeg, Manitoba as well as Ken Bristow who is part of the CINetwork and has received care from Nine Circles Community Health Centre. We explore the important work they are doing as we honour December 1st, World AIDS Day, and work to improve access to care and support, and ultimately putting an end to HIV.

On this episode of the podcast, we discuss Social Prescribing and Community Health Centres ahead of the Alliance for Healthier Communities’ virtual Social Prescribing Conference on October 20. We speak with Natasha Beaudin from The Alliance for Healthier Communities; Abby Richter, Registered Dietitian and SEED Program Lead at Guelph CHC; and Albesa Aliu, Health Promoter & Project Coordinator at Rexdale Community Health Centre.

We speak with Renee Bradley,  Nurse Practitioner, and Joelleann Forbes, Mental Health Therapist at Women's Health in Women's Hands Community Health Centre, located in Toronto, ON about a pregnancy loss virtual group they created and the outcome of this type of community care.

We speak with Shobha Sharma, Executive Director of Central Interior Native Health Society, a Community Health Centre located in Prince George, British Columbia about the range of culturally-relevant and trauma-informed care and support services they provide. Central Interior Native Health Society employs traditional Indigenous health and wellbeing approaches, including an Indigenous Elder as a member of their interdisciplinary care and support team.

On this episode of Community Matters, we speak with Hayden McGuire, Executive Director of SWITCH, a community health centre in Saskatoon, SK. Through CACHC's CVP-National Project, funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, SWITCH increased vaccine confidence and uptake among vulnerable members of the community through a number of innovative initiatives, including a pet care clinic where people could get information about vaccines and services while accessing care for their pets.

In this episode of Community Matters we speak with Amma Gyamfowa, Networking Coordinator and Kashaia Henderson-Doyle Student and Family Advocate Program Coordinator at Women's Health in Women's Hands Community Health Centre located in Downtown Toronto, ON. Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Community Health Centre provide a wide range of health and social services geared to the diverse needs of racialized women, trans and non-binary clients from the African, Black, Caribbean, Latin American and South Asian communities in Toronto.

In this episode of Community Matters we speak with Naini Cloutier, Executive Director at Somerset West Community Health Centre and Michelle Hurtubise, Executive Director at Centretown Community Health Centre, both located in downtown Ottawa, ON. Together with several other Community Health Centres and Community Resource Centres they have worked on a report entitled Rethinking Community Safety. This document has contributed to re-allocating funds for police investment back into social services for the Ottawa region.

In this episode of Community Matters we speak with Kemlin Nembhard, Executive Director at Women's Health Clinic, a Community Health Centre in Winnipeg, MB. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the USA, Kemlin sheds light on how this situation could impact Canadians and how listeners can advocate for better abortion care, women's health rights, and access to necessary services including Community Health Centres.

In this episode of Community Matters, we speak with Terrence Rodriguez, REX Pride Program and Specialized Supports Coordinator at Rexdale Community Health Centre. He has grown what was once a grassroots 2SLGBTQ+ Peer group into the REX Pride Program under Rexdale Community Health Centre's roof in a decade.

On this episode of Community Matters, we speak with Kimberley Tateson-Bennett, Director of Health Services and Elaine Wilson, Senior Director of Operations of CUPS Calgary, a community health centre in Calgary, Alberta. Through CACHC's CVP-National Project, funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, CUPS Calgary has expanded its COVID-19 response, encouraging vaccination among vulnerable communities through community engagement, outreach, peer-led groups. This includes a number of community partnerships.

We speak with Dawn Martin (Executive Director) and Katherine Lyseiko (Program and Communication Coordinator) of Regina Community Clinic, a Community Health Centre based in Regina, Saskatchewan. We learn about resources Regina Community Clinic has created and the impact they have had through support from CACHC's CVP-National Project, funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada. These resources, created in multiple languages, are continuing to help diverse groups in Regina better understand their choices around vaccines and protection against COVID-19.

We speak with Olu Villasa, Manager of the Black Entrepreneurship Alliance (BEA) at Black Creek Community Health Centre, in Toronto. We learn about the vision and goals of the BEA, which provides a broad spectrum of education, mentorship and acceleration supports to Black entrepreneurs seeking to establish and grow businesses in the local community and beyond. The BEA is integrated into the broader mission and services of the Black Creek Community Health Centre connecting entrepreneurship and economic empowerment to health and wellbeing for individuals, families, and community.

We speak with Juanita Lawson, CEO of NorWest Community Health Centres headquartered in Thunder Bay, Ontario about the broad range of care and support services they offer throughout a vast geographical area in Northern Ontario. We touch on some of the challenges they encounter within the diverse communities they serve and how their organization works to ensure timely, appropriate care and support.

Nous discutons avec Estelle Duchon du Centre Francophone du Grand Toronto de la vaste gamme de services et de programmes offerts par ce centre de santé communautaire qui dessert la grande région de Toronto. Notre discussion touche à l'importance de l'accès aux services et aux soutiens en français pour les francophones vivant en situation minoritaire à travers le Canada.

We speak with Toby Esterby from Saskatoon Community Clinic in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan about the CHC's broad ranging care and support efforts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes diverse vaccine promotion and delivery activities with project funding from CACHC under the association's Community Vaccine Promotion (CVP-National) Project, funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

We speak with Ayn Wilcox, Mike Payne, and Kemlin Nembhard, the Executive Directors of three Community Health Centres in Winnipeg, Manitoba: Klinic Community Health, Women's Health Clinic, and Nine Circles Community Health Centre. They describe collaboration between the city's diverse Community Health Centres to establish a same day clinic and social services offered collaboratively through partnership among the city's CHCs.

We speak with Rhiannon Thomas and Sarah Greig from South Riverdale Community Health Centre in Toronto about how the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the ongoing overdose and opioid pandemic. We explore how the team at South Riverdale CHC has worked, against significant odds, to ensure continuous, accessible, and timely support for members of the community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and we touch on some of the systemic and policy shifts needed to save lives and to better support community-based first responders.

Follow us online to get regular updates about community health and social issues across Canada. Find us on Twitter and Instagram at @CACHC_ACCSC, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CACHC.ACCSC

Follow us online to get regular updates about community health and social issues across Canada. Find us on Twitter and Instagram at @CACHC_ACCSC, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CACHC.ACCSC

In this inaugural episode of the podcast, we explore the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on some of our country’s most vulnerable individuals and groups, and how Community Health Centres have stepped up in response. I visit with staff from The Alex Community Health Centre, in Calgary, to learn how their Community Health Centre has adapted to meet the care and support needs of some of that city’s most impacted residents.