I have started about a dozen different versions of this blog – the first directly following the London City Council’s initial vote on the upcoming budget. I wanted to express my distress over the cuts to affordable housing and access to services for low income families that make a small but mighty difference (wading pools as an example) all for the sake of a zero percent increase in property taxes. The next iterations of this post reflected my growing frustration as the community discourse took to social media (Facebook, Twitter and various blogs were on fire with community commentary) and one of the city councilors called an individual’s current and former employers to question whether he was representing them in his criticism of the budget. The implication was clearly that if he was criticizing the budget as a representative of his employer (he wasn’t by the way), this was highly inappropriate because his employer received funding from the City of London! My blog topic switched as another councilor waded into the discussion and insults, rather than constructive debate on the issues, began.

As the story has unfolded in the paper and in social media, what has been concerning to me has been the commentary that somehow as a not-for-profit organization, I am not supposed to speak out about the impact of this 0% budget because I somehow personally benefit from either funding or influence from the people designing the budget.

The reality is the clients and community members served by my agency ARE going to be negatively impacted by the decisions that council has made. As an organization dedicated to advocacy and with a voice in the policy issues that negatively (or occasionally positively) impact on our clients and community, I have a responsibility to speak out on these issues whether it is with my personal or my organizational voice. I do not, as a public citizen, lose my right to voice my concern about the decisions that my city council makes simply because I work for a publicly funded agency. I remain a tax payer at all levels of government and I have a right to say that I don’t mind the $48/year tax increase if it means I’m living in a community that collectively recognizes the need to support all of its citizens.

I don’t want to restate all the issues and concerns related to the tax debate and the debates about community engagement, including community engagement through social media. I will however, encourage you to consider these thoughtful blogs who have covered both topics far better than I could. Thanks to them.

• London Civic Watch
• The Parallel Parliament
• Abe Oudshoorn
• Sean Quigley

I do encourage you to join in the discussion and call your City Councillor immediately to let them know how you feel about the city’s current budget decision. Even one vote could change the current course of action. Please provide input to a survey launched by Paul Hubert:

http://www.paulhubert.ca/2012/02/budget-input-survey-please-give-me-your-feedback/

Miss Representation first premiered in the documentary competition at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011. Written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Miss Representation exposes how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America.  The film challenges the media’s limited and often disparaging portrayals of women and girls, which make it difficult for women to achieve leadership positions and for the average woman to feel powerful herself.

Miss Representation includes stories from teenage girls and provocative interviews with politicians, journalists, entertainers, activists and academics like Condoleezza Rice, Lisa Ling, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow, Rosario Dawson, Jackson Katz, Jean Kilbourne, and Gloria Steinem.  The film offers startling facts and statistics that will leave audiences shaken and armed with a new perspective.  Learn more about Miss Representation at: www.missrepresentation.org

Please join us on Wednesday March 7, 2012 for a London, Ontario screening of this film. It will be held at the Wolf Performance Hall of the Central Library starting at 7pm. Following the film presentation, a panel of local women will speak about women in leadership.

More details can be found on the attached poster. There is no cost to attend this event, but please call the library to reserve your ticket.

There is a Women Empowering Women Scholarship Application 2012 that needs to be completed.  Please fill out the application and e-mail it to scholarship@lihc.on.ca

We are most happy to help you with this application or answer any questions you might have. Please feel free to contact Dharshi Lacey at dlacey@lihc.on.ca

If you have been working with the Access Centre, you can also get help with your application there. The contacts there are: Kate at katek@accesscentre.ca or Monica at monicac@accesscentre.ca

This application needs to be completed and e-mailed by 5pm on Friday, March,2, 2012.

Please share this with anyone who may be interested in this scholarship opportunity

I’ve thought about the “The Grapes of Wrath” often in the past few weeks as I have watched the appalling situation with Electro-Motive workers evolve to the point where nearly 700 people are out of work. The strategies used by Progressive Rail are no different than those experienced by the migrant labourers in “The Grapes of Wrath” where workers were offered one rate, only to have that rate continually reduced because the employers know there are desperate people out there working to work for even less in order to increase the profits of a few.  The story tells of the struggling efforts to establish a union and fight for workers rights for a fair wage and safe working conditions and the efforts of the corporate farmers and state to undermine and destroy the union organizers.

The scenario makes me reflect on the legislation being brought into various US States right now that is exactly designed to undermine the systems that ensure fair wages and safe working conditions. How similar this story is to the one told 60 years ago!

Then just last night, 10 individuals who are believed to be migrant workers from Peru were killed northeast of Stratford. They were travelling in a van, likely returning after a long day of working in one of the corporate farms and doing the work that most of us wouldn’t do because of the poor pay and working conditions. However, they are lured here with promise of making money to send to their families back home. The reality is that they work long hours, are tied into contracts that see most of their money go into rent (controlled by the contractors who bring them here) and transportation costs that leave them little to send home. They are trapped in a cycle from which they can’t escape and they eek out a meager living that is far below the poverty line. Each year, Canada employs nearly 20,000 migrant workers from Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, Grenada, Antigua, Dominica, Mexico and many other countries. They have no rights to any benefits such as EI.  They are often deliberately kept from learning about their rights related to workplace safety, or assistance with seeking preventative health care, banking or other resources. Under the federally sponsored program of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers program they are limited in their ability to switch employers and at the end of their contract are restricted from applying for citizenship. I think once the investigation is complete on yesterday’s accident we will learn that the migrant workers were travelling after a 14 hour day, perhaps under fatigued conditions, to get to their next job within a tight deadline.

The world written about in “The Grapes of Wrate” is here and it is real.  Every day I hear someone comment that people should be willing to take a significant cut in pay because it is better to have a job at less money than no job at all. It saddens me because there is very little action taken on curtailing CEOs salaries, or considering how to build economic development that is sustainable on both our earth and the economy without demonizing workers who deserve a fair wage and safe working conditions. Much like in the story, however, in the face of this hardship community is coming together to support each other.  It is heartening to see the community’s response to the actions of Electro-Motive.

We need to continue to stand and defend the gains that have been made for workers to balance against corporate profit. These rights are being eroded and while there are many people fighting to maintain them, there are more who are complacent – thinking these issues don’t affect them. But one day it will and I hope there remains someone to stand up for you.

The Regional HIV/AIDS Connection and the London InterCommunity Health Centre are partners in a new program called the Hepatitis C Care Team. The goal of this program is to meet the needs of Londoners who are at risk for or living with Hepatitis C at all stages of the disease.

We are here to meet the needs of:

• those at high risk for Hepatitis C infection due to drug use
• those who have been newly diagnosed but have difficulty accessing health care from existing health and social services
• those who are Hepatitis C positive and have addiction and social issues (poverty, homelessness, mental health issues, etc.)

Our Team

The Hepatitis C Care Team has four full-time staff members who work in conjunction with numerous other health and social service professionals including physicians, managerial and administrative support, support workers, and educators to ensure that you are support in all aspects of the life—physical, emotional, psychological, social, and spiritual. Our Team consists of:

• Outreach Worker
• Peer Support Worker
• Social Worker
• Nurse Practitioner

Location

The Hepatitis C Care Team will provide services at Regional HIV/AIDS Connection, at the Health Centre and in the community. The Outreach Worker and Peer Support Worker are based at Regional HIV/AIDS Connection (#30-186 King Street). The Social Worker and Nurse Practitioner have offices at the Health Centre (659 Dundas Street).

Our Partners

We know that for you to be well, you need more than health care. That is why we are partnering with other community organizations from across the city. These other organizations provide  additional services to support our team.  Examples are addiction services, housing agencies, social services, and specialized health care.

How it Works

There are three major parts to the work we do. All of these parts work together closely so we can provide the best possible care for our clients.

Outreach:

The main focus of outreach is to connect with clients in the community and to build trusting relationships. Our Outreach Worker and Peer Support Worker provide support, advocacy, and education about HCV.  Our outreach services work to help prevent the spread of Hepatitis C in the community. We’re also available to help you book appointments, and get to those appointments. We can even attend with you if you’d like our support.

Intensive Case Management

Living with Hepatitis C is often complicated by addictions, mental health issues and social issues like poverty or homelessness.  Our Social Worker will spend time with you learning about the barriers to good health and wellness that you face, and provide support to help you  to problem solve around and address some of these challenges.

Hepatitis C Care & Treatment

Hepatitis C care supports the mental and physical health symptoms that come with Hepatitis C infection. Our Nurse Practitioner, supported by Health Centre physicians, provides this care, as well as antiviral pharmacotherapy treatment for those who are stable and ready for treatment. If you are unable to receive antiviral treatment, we are still very committed to helping you to “live well” with Hepatitis C.   The Social Worker is also here to help you get through the mental ups and downs that can happen during treatment.

How to Get Help:

If you think that your needs can be met by the Hepatitis C Care Team, you can refer yourself for care, treatment and support. You do not need to be a patient of the London InterCommunity Health Centre to qualify. You can also qualify even if you already have another doctor or nurse practitioner. You can access some of our Hepatitis C Care programs or all of them – depending on your comfort level and your needs.

For general questions and to reach the Outreach and Peer Support workers call: 519-434-1601.

For questions about testing, Hepatitis C care and treatment, call 519-660-0874 x346.

To have your health care provider or community worker refer you to the Hepatitis C Care Team, print, complete and fax the referral form listed below to (519) 642-1532.

HepC Care Team External Referral Form (long version)

Hep C Care Team External Referral Form (short version)

The focus of this workshop is to provide you with a better understanding of the practical application of your rights to communications and services from governments in your community. You will also have the opportunity to meet and discuss with other representatives of Francophone organizations from Ontario as well as share your views on language rights during the consultation.

Everyone from the province of Ontario who is interested is welcome. There are no registration fees for this event, and a free lunch will be served.

For the first 20 people registered who live outside the Windsor area, the LRSP will pay one night in a hotel in Windsor on the 26^th or 27^th of February and travelling expenses (transport and per diem) upon receiving receipts, as per the Directive of the Treasury Board of Canada. The first 20 people registered will receive additional information regarding reimbursements for travel expenses.

To register for this event, we ask that you please contact Mrs. Marie-Lynne Robineau at 613-562-5800 ext. 2424 or by email at marie-lynne.robineau@uottawa.ca before February 21, 2012.

The speakers will present in either official language; if you require interpretation services, please let us know when you register. We encourage you to forward this invitation to anyone who might be interested in attending this event.

We look forward to meeting you.

Best regards,

Geneviève Boudreau

Director

The Patient and Consumer Participation Pool will make it easier for Health Canada to access a wide variety of patients, consumers and caregivers for its consultation activities. This is important because patients and consumers have important views and experiences to share that can help strengthen Health Canada’s decision making on matters related to the health and safety of Canadians. Their goal is to bring patients and consumers from diverse backgrounds, perspectives, age groups and various geographic regions across the country into this Pool and build their capacity to make meaningful contributions. Pool members will learn about Health Canada’s mandate, roles and responsibilities as well as our legislative and regulatory processes. This knowledge will be useful when participating in consultations on a variety of health products and food-related subjects such as:

• Medical devices like hearing aids or syringes
• Natural health products, such as vitamins and minerals, herbal remedies and homeopathic and traditional medicines Prescription and non-prescription drugs
• Novel Foods, for example, Genetically Modified Foods
• Microbial Hazards like Listeria, E.coli and Salmonella
• Labelling and Marketing of Foods for Health Claims or Allergens
• Sodium Reduction
• Promoting Healthy Eating

Patients and/or consumers from all regions and various interest areas related to health products and food are encouraged to apply by filling out the Application Form on the Pool website. Though the deadline to apply is February 15, 2012, people should be encouraged to get their applications in early in the event the Pool fills up – there are only 50-100 spots for the pilot year.

For me the past year has been quite interesting as we came through both a federal and provincial election and witnessed protests world wide intended to bring greater democracy to oppressive regimes. We also saw the emergence of the Occupy movement in the United States, Canada and several European countries as people strove to bring their voices into the dialogue about what it means to live in a democratic and just society.

I think the Occupy movement most caused me to reflect on what it means to live in a democracy.  We have a serious issue here in Canada. Close to 50% of those eligible to vote, don’t! People feel disengaged from the political system because they don’t feel that voting makes any difference and all the parties are the same.  What the Occupy movement did for me was raise the issues about the growing inequity in our society. They challenged us to think about our rights and freedoms and how to have constructive dialogue when those rights collide (the right to protest in public spaces and the right of others to use those spaces for their intended purposes as but one example).  I don’t think we did particularly well grappling with those issues, but it sure got a lot of people talking, some in the traditional media and more in social media.

This past year also felt like the presence of social media hit a new level.  Before people talked about how Twitter and Facebook were time wasters for sharing the mundane details of your life. Well, that maybe true for many people but I also saw an explosion of dialogue about the many important issues and current events.  I witnessed people come together who had never met each other, but became engaged because of the issues they cared about.  I think the year ahead is going to see both social media and democratic protest continue to grow and strengthen. The issues are not going away.

I also found a new appreciation in December for the amazing people in my life both personally and professionally.  Several friends and colleagues are grappling with some signficant health issues and losses in their lives and it sure puts things in perspective about what is important in life.  A political leader that I very much respected also passed away in 2011 and left us with a strong legacy and powerful words that continue to inspire me. As we move forward in this new year, we face significant economic challenges ahead and we face many challenges to our democratic processes. As we soldier on, I know that I am looking to the words of Jack Layton for inspiration about a different way of moving forward than we have tried in the past, and so I close with his final two paragraphs of his final letter to Canadians.  I wish you all a Happy New Year.
“Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. …My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.”

December 14, 2011

London, ON –   For the sixteenth time in as many years, students and community members at Lorne Avenue Public School will enjoy a traditional turkey dinner prepared and served by community volunteers, partner agencies and local dignitaries.

In total, more than 550 people, including adult ESL students, the YMCA day care children, community sponsors, donors and supporters will enjoy the homemade fare served in the school’s gymnasium on Friday December 16, 2011.

“This meal is a wonderful example of what happens when individuals and organizations come together in their belief of the unifying power of a shared meal,” says Shelly Happy, Community Worker with the London InterCommunity Health Centre and coordinator of the seasonal meal. “The volunteers make this a priority because they have seen the pleasure it brings to the students.”

As in the past, high profile Londoners will roll up their sleeves to serve turkey, potatoes, stuffing, vegetables, cranberry sauce and cake. This year Police Chief Brad Duncan and Fire Chief John Kobarda will be among the guest servers.

The London Community Health Centre facilitates this celebration through its Children’s Nutrition and Learning Project partnership with Lorne Avenue Public School. Lean more at http://www.lihc.on.ca/children-youth-and-families/

-30-

Lorne Avenue’s Annual Seasonal Celebration

• Friday December 16, 2011
• School Gymnasium, Lorne Avenue Public School, 723 Lorne Avenue
• Adult ESL and ESL daycare served at 12:15pm
• Grades 1 – 8 served at 12:30pm
• Kindergarten students served at 1:00pm

Contacts:

Shelly Happy                                                                Megan Cornwell

Community Development Worker                       Communications Manager

London InterCommunity Health Centre           London InterCommunity Health Centre

shappy@lihc.on.ca                                                       mcornwell@lihc.on.ca

(519) 660-0875 x 254                                                  (519) 317-6006 (mobile)

For the past four years, CHCs and AHACs have been working towards having fully electronic medical records.  As community-based and governed primary care organizations working in interprofessional teams, and working with populations that often have complex health issues and face barriers to accessing care, we want to use electronic medical records to provide the best care to our clients. Being on a system that will be fully bilingual, and enables us to connect and communicate with other parts of the health care system is essential. The physicians, nurses, social workers, community health workers, administrative staff, dietitians, IT staff and so many other professionals and CHCs across the province worked together to review the ASP models available to us and decide which product would best meet our needs. After a lot of testing and evaluationby more than 20 people from our sector, we felt Nightingale On Demand was truly that product.

All 83 CHCs and AHACs will be on the same system across the province. This is a truly amazing feat. It brings 3,500 health care workers, including 650 physicians and nurse practitioners, together on one EMR. It will connect us to many different interfaces with hospitals and Community Care Access Centres across the province.  It will enable our providers, and therefore our clients, to access up-to-date electronic lab results, medication information, and test results.

Although implementation of the new EMR to my organization will be towards the end of the roll-out, I can hardly wait to have the many features in Nightingale available to us. So far in our relationship, from the procurement process, to contract negotiations, Nightingale has demonstrated itself to be a collaborative partner—not just a vendor—in delivering high-quality services to primary care providers and their clients.  I look forward to the journey—and the relationship—ahead.