Community Health Council Forum: October 26-27, 2007

This Forum is held annually by Peace Country Health (PCH) for members of the Community Health Councils (CHCs) and I was pleased to be able to attend on behalf of Peace River Town Council. This was the first year that municipal officials (other than those already active on the CHCs) were invited.

Community Health Councils are established and disestablished by regional health authorities, according to provincial legislation. The PCH website describes CHCs as working to: Provide advice to the Peace Country Health Board; facilitate two-way communication with the community; act as a forum for public input on health needs; and promote awareness of health resources, programs and services. More information on PCH CHCs can be found at: http://www.pchr.ca/Default.aspx?tabid=744

The forum included representatives from CHCs from Peace River as well as Grimshaw, Manning, Smoky River, Worsley, Sexsmith, Beaverlodge, Hythe, Fox Creek, Grande Cache, Tri-Settlement (Gift Lake, Peavine and East Prairie), High Prairie, and Central Peace. There are also CHCs in Fairview and Faust but there were no representatives at the Forum.

TRADE FAIR AND CHC UPDATES

Following the afternoon Trade Fair, with displays by community organizations and PCH programs and services, there was a dinner and welcoming remarks from Peace Country Health Board Chair Marvin Moore. Following this, verbal reports were given by CHC representatives, with the level of activity for councils varying. Julie Gour reported on behalf of the Peace River CHC, which has a fairly low level of activity and is experiencing difficulties recruiting members.

PEACE COUNTRY HEALTH UPDATE

On Friday night and Saturday there were updates on PCH activities in areas such as workforce recruitment and retention, funding, deficit-combating initiatives, capital planning, strategic planning, primary health network development in the region and the upcoming year.

PEACE COUNTRY REGIONAL HEALTH CENTRE

We also received a detailed update on the new Peace Country Regional Health Centre, which will be constructed just outside Grande Prairie and be designed to serve the whole region. The QEII Hospital will be renovated to accommodate administration and community-based programs. PCH is currently working with architects on the design of the new facility and there have been a number of public and professional consultations, with more planned. See the link below for the PowerPoint presentation.

PRESENTATIONS: Seniors Falls Skit (Beaverlodge CHC) and Living Well

Members of the Beaverlodge CHC did an entertaining skit on falls and PCH staff presented information on healthy living.

PANEL: INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON HEALTH

The afternoon panel featured five experts who provided different perspectives on how industrial development affects human health. Speakers included:

• Dr. Albert de Villiers, Peace Country Health Medical Officer of Health.
• Jim Meagher, Peace Country Health’s Director of Environmental Public Health and a co-founder of the Peace Air Shed Zone Association.
• Dr. Warren Kindzierski, Associate Professor of Environmental Health Services in the University of Alberta School of Public Health.
• Dr. Stephan Gabos, Senior Science Advisor, Surveillance and Environmental Health, Public Health Division in Alberta Health & Wellness.
• Douglas Haines, Manager of the Environmental Health Surveillance Division in Health Canada’s Safe Environments Programme (Ottawa).

The PowerPoint presentation for each speaker as well as the PC Regional Health Centre update and the Living Well presentation are available at:

http://www.pchr.ca/AboutUs/CommunityHealthCouncils/tabid/744/Default.aspx