British Columbia Refugee, Migrant Workers, and Newcomers with Umbrella... in English

‘Stuckatthe Gate’ofPrimary Care

Aconversationaboutprimarycarewith refugees,migrantworkers,andnew immigrantswholiveintheVancouverarea

October2023

AbouttheCommunity Roundtable

OurCareisapan-Canadian conversationwithmembersofthe publicaboutthefutureofprimary care.TheprojectisledbyDr.Tara Kiran,afamilyphysicianand researchscientistbasedatSt. Michael’sHospital,UnityHealth Toronto,andtheUniversityof Toronto.Therearethreephasesto theproject:anationalsurvey, provincialprioritiespanels,and communityroundtables(seeAbout OurCareonpage15formore details).

Inordertodesignaprimarycare systemthatmeetstheneedsofall Canadians, thechallengesand barriersofequity-deserving communitiesmustbecentredinthe conversation.TheaimoftheOurCare communityroundtablesistolearn fromcommunitiesthatare historicallyexcludedorconsistently underservedbytheprimarycare system.

OurCarepartneredwithUmbrella MulticulturalHealthCooperativein ordertoengagerefugees,migrant workers,andnewimmigrant residentswholiveintheVancouver area.Foundedin2010,Umbrellaisa member-driven,culturallyconnected

cooperativecommunityhealth centrethatprovidesequitablecare forpeoplewhoexperiencelanguage andculturalbarriers.The organization’sinnovativeCross CulturalHealthBrokers(CCHBs)are bilingual,biculturalhealthcare workerswhoworkwithpatientsand communitiestofacilitateaccessto medicalservices,socialservices,and healthpromotionactivitieswhile supportingtherelationshipbetween patientsandprimarycare practitioners.Thereisconclusive evidencethatcommunityhealth workersimprovehealthoutcomesfor marginalizedpopulations,address thesocialdeterminantsofhealth, andadvancehealthequity.1OurCare wasfortunatetobeabletoleverage Umbrella’sknowledgeand longstandingengagementwith refugees,migrantworkers,andnew immigrantcommunitiesinorderto executeasuccessfulroundtableon primarycare.

TheOurCare-UmbrellaCommunity Roundtablewasconvenedintwo sessions,onOctober3andOctober6, 2023,foratotalof6.5hours,the objectivesofwhichweretoallow participantstolearnaboutthe primarycaresystem,sharetheir 4

1 Perry, H., Zulliger, R., & Rogers, M. 2014. “Community health workers in low-, middle-, and high-income countries: an overview of their history, recent evolution, and current effectiveness.” Annual Review of Public Health, 35, 399-421.

perspectivesabouttheirinteractions withthatsystem,andgenerateideas forchangestothesystemtoaddress theiruniqueconcerns.

Duringthefirstsession,heldvirtually viaZoom,participantshearda presentationfromDr.RitaMcCracken, afamilydoctorinVancouveraswell asanAssistantProfessorinthe DepartmentofFamilyPracticeatthe UniversityofBritishColumbia.Dr. McCrackenspokeaboutthecurrent stateofprimarycareinBritish Columbia,presentedanoverviewof thefeatures,models,andchallenges ofprimarycare,andanswered questionsfromparticipants.

Duringthesecondsession,held in-personatDouglasCollegeinNew Westminster,participantsspentthe dayinsmallfacilitatedgroups, sharingthechallengestheyandtheir communitieshavefacedin accessingprimarycareand exploringpotentialsolutionsfor addressingtheseconcerns.

Thisreportreflectsthethemesand ideasidentifiedbytheroundtable participants,whichtheysharedwith eachotherandtheOurCareUmbrellateam.

WhoWeEngaged andWhy

TheOurCare-UmbrellaCommunity Roundtableengagedatotalof23 participantsacrossfourdistinct languageandculturalgroups: Tigrinya-speakingrefugeesfromEast Africa;Spanish-speakingimmigrants includingmigrantworkersfromLatin America;Farsi/Dari-speaking refugeesfromAfghanistan;and Arabic-speakingimmigrantsand refugeesfromtheMiddleEast.The roundtablewasconductedinfive languageswithconsecutive interpretationbetweenEnglishand thefourcommunitylanguages providedduringbothsessions.In ordertoensurethattheroundtable wasaccessible,participantswere offeredstipendsandequity-based support,includingtransitticketsand childcarefunding.

Thisroundtablewasconvenedto addresswell-knowninequitiesin healthandhealthcarethatstem fromsystemicbarriersfacedby refugees,migrantworkers,andnew immigrantcommunitiesinBritish

ColumbiaandCanadawhose perspectivesareinadequately representedinthebulkofpublic discourse.Researchindicatesthat newcomerstoCanadaareata disadvantagewhenitcomesto accessingprimarycareservicesdue, inpart,toculturalandlinguistic barriers.2

Studiessuggestthatthosewhoare newtoCanadaarelesslikelytohave accesstoprimarycareatall.3

Canadahasadmittedmorethanone millionrefugeessince1980,4 andnow admitsmorethan400,000new immigrantsperyear.5 Asof2022, refugeesandimmigrantswith permanentresidencecomprise approximately23percentofthe Canadianpopulation,whilemillions morecantracetheirancestryto anothercountryoforigininjustone ortwogenerations.Since2001, Canadahasadmittedmorethan 60,000refugeesfromAfghanistan, including37,875betweenAugust2021

2 Ahmed, S. et al. 2016. “Barriers to access of primary healthcare by immigrant populations in Canada: a literature review.” Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 18(6), 1522-1540.

3 Tara Kiran, Alexander Kopp and Richard H. Glazier, 2016. “Those left behind from voluntary medical home reforms in Ontario, Canada.” The Annals of Family Medicine, 14 (6) 517-525.

4 Lori Wilkinson, Jihad (Rosty) Othman, Nikol Veisman, Kezia Wong and Sally Ogoe. 2021. “A Brief History of Afghan Refugees in Canada. Canadian Issues, Fall 2021/Winter 2022, 1-5.

5 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Jan 3, 2023. “Canada welcomes historic number of newcomers in 2022.”

6 Colin R. Singer, Sept 26, 2023. “Canada Close To Reaching Its Target Of 40,000 Afghan Refugees Finding A Safe Haven Here.” Immigration.ca.

andSeptember2023,coincidingwith theTaliban’sreturntopower.6

Since2015,Canadahaswelcomedat least58,650Syrianrefugees,both government-andprivate-sponsored, whohavefledthatcountry’scivil war.7Atleast16,000Eritreanrefugees havealsosettledinCanadasince 2016,accordingtothe2021census, fleeingconflictinEastAfrica.8 Each yearCanadaadmitsnearlyone millionTemporaryForeignWorkers (TFWs)tosupplementitslabourforce inagriculture,industryandother sectors,asignificantportionofwhom comefromMexicoorotherCentral Americannations.9

UmbrellaMulticulturalHealth Cooperativehasbeenworkingwith andsupportingAfghanrefugees (Farsi/Dari-andPashto-speaking) andSpanish-speakingTemporary ForeignWorkerssinceitsinceptionin 2010,addingsupportforSyrian refugees(Arabic-and Kurdish-speaking)in2015andfor Eritreanrefugees(Tigrinya-speaking) in2017,inadditiontoserving immigrantsandrefugeesfromother communities.

Thesecommunitiesfacehealthcare barriersasaresultofbeing unfamiliarwiththeirnewcountryand itsinstitutions,adaptingtoaforeign cultureandoftennotspeakingoneof Canada’sofficiallanguages.Their healthisespeciallyvulnerabledueto longresettlementjourneysand processeswhichsometimescovers multiplecountries,placingthemat greaterriskoftrauma,illness,or injury.

Accessinghealthcareservicesin theiradoptedCanadianhome community,withprimarycarebeing thefirstandmostimportantpointof access,isthereforeofparamount importance.Andyet,these communitiesareoftenoverlookedor ignoredinconversationsabout strengtheningandtransforming primarycareinCanada.

7 Statistics Canada; Peter Shawn Taylor, May 21, 2019. “How Syrian refugees to Canada have fared since 2015.” Maclean’s.

8 CTV News, September 7, 2023. “Why are Eritrean groups clashing in Canada?”

9 Statistics Canada, June 20, 2023. “Study: Non-permanent residents in Canada: Portrait of a growing population from the 2021 Census”

10 MOSAIC, 2017. “Needs Assessment of Amharic, Oromo and Tigrinya-speaking Refugee Newcomers in Burnaby.”

WhatWeLearned

DuringtheOurCare-Umbrella

CommunityRoundtable,participants spenttimeinsmallgroup discussions,sharingtheirexperiences andidentifyingthespecifichealth careneedsoftheircommunities. Participantswereprovidedwiththe followingpromptstoframetheir conversations:

● Whyisprimarycareimportant tous,ourfamilies,andour communities?

● Whatisgoodorworkingwell aboutprimarycareforus/our community?

● Whatbarriersorchallenges affectaccesstoprimarycare forus/ourcommunity?

● Whatstepsoractionscanbe takentoovercomethebarriers andchallengesidentified,and improvehealthoutcomesfor us/ourcommunity?

● Whatismosturgent?What shoulddecision-makers prioritizetoimproveprimary careforus/ourcommunityand why?

Thecontentsoftheseconversations havebeenorganizedintoThemes thathighlighttheexperiencesand challengestheyidentified,andIdeas forChangethatdetailpotential

solutionssharedbytheparticipants duringtheroundtablediscussions.

Themes

A.Someareasofprimarycareare servingrefugee,migrantworker, andnewimmigrantcommunities well:

ParticipantsintheOurCare-Umbrella CommunityRoundtableexpresseda numberofthingstheylikedabout Canada’shealthcaresystem: widespreadhealthinsurance, extendedbenefitsforthosewith certaintypesofemployment,freeor subsidizeddentalandopticalcarefor children,benefitsforlow-income populationsandthosewith disabilities,bookingappsandother convenientoptionsformakingclinic appointments,virtualcareservices, familyplanningservicesaswellas communityhealthcentres(CHCs) thatmeetthespecificneedsand challengesofimmigrantandrefugee communities.

B.Thelackofcommunity-based familydoctorsandotherprimary careprovidersdisproportionately affectsnewcomers:Morethanonein fiveCanadianslackattachmenttoa familyphysicianorprimarycare team(morethanoneinfourinBritish

Columbia).Participantsinthe roundtablereportedchallengeswith securingattachmenttoprimarycare.

Theyandtheircommunitieshave hadlesstimeandfacelarger knowledgebarriersinseeking attachmentandnavigatingthe healthcaresystem.Theyareacutely awareofandfrustratedbythe barrierstoefficientlylicense internationallytraineddoctorsand otherhealthcareprofessionalsand integratethemintotheCanadian workforce.

Participantsreportedhowthey,their families,andcommunitiesoftenrely onhospitalemergencydepartments andurgentcareclinicsforservices thatshouldbeprovidedunder primarycare,observationsthatare supportedbyarecentstudyshowing thatrefugeesandnewimmigrants frequentlyuseemergencyservices forprimarycare.Longwaittimesat clinics,forlabtests,andtosee specialistsarefrustratingforall patientsbutespeciallynew immigrantsandrefugeeswhohave addedchallengesrelatedto language,cultural,andother accessibilitybarriersincluding reducedoptionsfortransportation andchildcare.Participantsnoted

thattheyandtheircommunitiesrely oncommunityhealthcentres(CHCs) toovercometheirlackofprimary careattachmentorculturally appropriateserviceprovision,but therearenotenoughCHCstomeet theneedsofsuchalargepopulation ofnewcomersineitherBritish Columbiaor,morebroadly,in Canadaatlarge.

C.Thereisafailuretoaddress languageandculturalbarriersata systemlevel: Participantsreportedfrustrationin facinglanguageandculturalbarriers whenengagingwithprimarycare servicesandproviders:

● Primarycaredoctorsoftendo notpractice“slow”or“patient” care,includingtakingthetime tounderstandanewcomerpatient’sspecificneedsand carehistory,andtoseek resourcessuchasinterpreters, translators,culturally knowledgeablepatient advocates,etc.,tosupporttheir work;

● Itisacknowledgedthatthe problemisnotonlythetime availabletofamilydoctorsbut alsothefinancial

resourcesneededtoprovide language-concordantand culturallyappropriatecare.

● Certainnon-officiallanguages (e.g.ArabicandSpanish)are bettersupportedbyprimary careinfrastructurethanothers (e.g.Tigrinya,DariorKurdish) andthisalsoexacerbatesa feelingthattheprimarycare systemcanmeettheneedsof somepeoplebetterthanothers andperpetuatesinequitable accesstocare;

● Gender-appropriate,culturally sensitivecareisasignificant concernforimmigrantand refugeewomenwhomayonly beableorcomfortabletosee womendoctorsorcare providers,orwhomaybeless knowledgeableorrequiremore culturalsensitivitythanother Canadianwomeninareas suchassexualand reproductivehealth;

● Thereisasystem-widelackof patientadvocateswhocan accompanynewcomerpatientstoprimarycare appointmentswherethey couldhelpovercomecultural andlinguisticbarrierswhile alsoempoweringpatientstobe abletoadvocatefortheirown care;

● Thefailuretoovercomethese barriershasledtocritical consequencesamong immigrantandrefugee populations,including misdiagnoses, misunderstandingsaboutcare instructionsorreferrals,missed appointments,lessawareness ofpreventativecare,negative healthoutcomes(bothmental andphysical),reducedseeking ofspecializedorother downstreamcare,andalackof trustinCanadianhealthcarein general;

● Individualdoctors,care providers,andcommunity healthcentresmayworkto overcomebarriersfortheir newcomerpatients,butthereis alackofuptakeand investmentinsystem-wide infrastructuretoensurethese challengesareovercome everywhere,forallpatients.

D.Immigrantsandrefugeesare gettinglostinorleftbehindbythe primarycaresystem:

Participantsreportedthatthey,their familiesandcommunitiesoftenhave agenerallackofknowledgeonwhat isandwhatisnotprimarycare,how

toaccessit,andhowtonavigatethe healthcaresystemdownstreamofit.

Astheyfaceseriousbarriersin accessingafamilydoctororteamto helpthemnavigateotherareasof thehealthcaresystem,andstruggle toacquiretheknowledgetonavigate thesystemandadvocatefor themselves,immigrantsand refugeesareoften“stuckatthegate” ofprimarycare,unabletogainfull accesstotheprimarycaresystemor thedeeperhealthcaresystem beyond.Theyreportavoidingcare fromthesameserviceswherethey werepreviouslyfrustratedor unsatisfied,orgivingupwhenwait timesaretoolongoraccessto servicestoooneroustobear.And theyreportfearingfortheirhealth outcomesasaresult.

Finally,accesstogovernmenthealth carebenefitsmaydifferdepending onmigrationandsettlementstatus evenwithinindividualfamiliesor communities,exacerbatingconfusion andinequality.Ofspecialnote, participantsreportedfrustrationin accessingcareforchildren, especiallypreventativecare(e.g. regularcheckupsandpediatriccare).

E.Immigrantsandrefugeesexpect morefromCanada’svaunted universalhealthcaresystem generally,andprimarycare specifically,thantheyreceive: Whetherbecausetheyare accustomedtomoreaccessible, compassionate,orholistichealth careservicesintheircountriesof origin,orbecausetheyviewCanada asa“wealthycountry”andaglobal leaderinhealthcareprovision, participantsreportbeingletdownby theprimarycareservicesthey receive.Forexample:

● Doctorsrushtoprovide servicesduetopayment modelsthatincentivize quantityoverqualityofservice, whenpeoplewithlanguage and/orknowledgebarriers disproportionatelyrequire slowerandmorediligent attention;

● Asnewcomersinaforeignland, participantsreportedneeding morecompassion,empathy, andculturalsensitivityinthe caretheycurrentlyreceive;

● Pharmaceuticalcare,dental care,andopticalcarearenot coveredunderprimarycare (anditisoftennotclearwhy);

● Preventativecare,holisticcare, mentalhealthcare,and non-Westerncarepractices seemtoparticipantstobe deprioritizedintheCanadian healthcaresystem;

● Despitethepurported universalityofcare,immigrants andrefugeesareoften disproportionatelyimpactedby costbarriers(e.g. transportation,childcare,and timeoffwork)thatmake accessingprimarycaremore burdensomeformany;

● Immigrantsandrefugeesoften perceivealackoftrust, empowerment,andrespect withintheCanadianhealth caresystem;

● Becauseprimarycare,urgent care,anddownstream/ specializedcareservicesare usuallynotallinonephysical location,thereareadditional timeandtravelcostsfor immigrantsandrefugeesin additiontotheirpre-existing culturalandlanguagebarriers;

● Someimmigrantsandrefugees feelmorecomfortablegoing backtotheirhomecountryfor careservicesratherthan accessingthatcareinCanada.

● Thereisageneralperception amongimmigrantsand refugeesthatCanadianhealth careservicesandinfrastructure arealimitedresourcethatis notkeepingupwithgrowing demandfromever-increasing numbersofimmigrantsand refugees.

Ideasforchange

Toovercomethechallengesand barriersidentifiedintheThemes above,theparticipantsinthe OurCare-UmbrellaCommunity RoundtableonPrimaryCare developedthefollowingideasfor improvingprimarycarefortheir communitiesandallCanadians:

1.Investincommunityhealthcentre (CHC)infrastructureandservices, includingteam-basedcare,to supportcomprehensiveprimarycare forimmigrantsandrefugeesto Canadawithanemphasison relationship-based,longitudinal, culturallysensitivecareforall.

2.Promotecommunityinvolvement andempowermenttoaddressthe primarycareneedsofrefugees, migrantworkersandimmigrants.

3.Improvecapacityatcommunity healthcentresbyinvestingin training,employing,andinvolving communitymemberstosupportcare andinvolvingcommunitymembers tosupportcaredelivery,e.g.patient supportandadvocacy,system navigators,languageinterpreters, andcommunityoutreachand educationprograms.

4.Addmoredoctorstotheprimary caresystembyremovingbarriersto entry,incentivizingprimarycare practiceamongdoctorsandmedical students,andspeedingupprocesses tocertifyprofessionalswithforeign credentials.

5.Improvethewaydoctorsare trainedinmedicalschoolwithan increasedemphasisoncultural humilityandempathydevelopment, andprovideopportunitiesfor medicalstudentstoworkin communityhealthcentresbefore theybecomedoctorstobecome morefamiliarwithnewcomerspecificprimarycare.

6.Supportandincentivizefamily doctorpractice/paymentmodels thatencourageprimarycare clinicianstotakeextratimeand provideextrasupportforpatients whoexperienceculturaland

languagebarrierstocare,while ensuringdoctorshavesystem-wide accesstoresourcesandtrainingto helpovercomethosebarrierswith theirpatients.

7.Createmore(andregular) touchpointsandengagement opportunitiesbetweenprimarycare policymakers,communityhealth centres/primarycareclinicians,and patientadvocatestoensurethat evolving,newcomer-specificpatient needsarebeingaddressedandthat immigrantandrefugeevoicesareat thetablewhendecisionsabout healthcarepolicyaremade;e.g. createPrimaryCareCommunity AdvisoryGroupsthatengageallof thesestakeholdersalongwith newcomercommunities.

8.Investinandempower communitiestocreateregularpublic educationandawarenessinitiatives andworkshopsaroundprimarycare, involvingnewcomercommunities themselves,withanemphasison increasingsystemknowledge, preventativecareknowledge,and healthpromotionforrecent immigrantsandrefugeeswith cultural,language,and/or technologicalbarriers.

9.Improvetelehealthandvirtualcare servicesandaugmenttheirsupport ofprimarycarebyleveragingboth technologyandcommunitycapacity toincludelanguageinterpretation andpatientadvocacywhen immigrantsandrefugeesusethese services.

10.Alignimmigrationandrefugee serviceswithhealthcareservicesat thefederalandprovinciallevelsto ensurethesepopulationsreceive ongoingprimarycareknowledgeand resourcesduringtheentryand settlementprocessthatareintheir primarylanguageandaddressany culturallyspecificneeds.

11.Makeprimarycaremoreholistic andcomprehensive(e.g.including dentalcare,optometry,andregular medicalscreeningandtestingas partofregularpreventativecare)to serverefugeesandimmigrantswho oftenhavehigherneedsinthese areas,andespeciallyfortheir children,andemphasize“careinone place”models,likeCHCs,tofacilitate accessibilitytocomprehensivecare.

12.Makeprimarycaretrulyuniversal byremoving,subsidizing,orinother waysovercomingcostbarriers(e.g. transportationandchildcarecosts) thatregularlyaffectimmigrantsand refugees,includingthrough enhancedhealthcarebenefitsfor andotherspecificbenefitsprograms aimedatremovinginequitiesof accesstoprimarycare.

Acknowledgments

TheOurCareprojectteamgratefullyacknowledgestheleadershipofour communitypartner,UmbrellaMulticulturalHealthCooperative,inthe developmentandhostingoftheOurCare-UmbrellaCommunity Roundtable. Wewouldalsoliketothankourguestspeaker,Dr.Rita McCracken,forsharinghertimeandexpertise.

ZarghoonaWakil,ExecutiveDirector,UmbrellaMulticulturalHealth Cooperative

Mei-LingWiedmeyer,familyphysicianandClinicalLead,Umbrella MulticulturalHealthCooperative

UmbrellaMulticulturalHealthCooperativeisamember-driven,culturally connectedcooperativehealthcarecentrebasedinNewWestminster, BC,thatprovideshealthcaretoimmigrantsandrefugeesintheLower Mainland,withemphasisonequitablecareforpeoplewhohave languageandculturalbarriers.Findoutmoreatumbrellacoop.ca.

RitaMcCracken,PrimaryCarePresenter

Dr.RitaMcCrackenisafull-servicefamilydoctorandanAssistant ProfessorintheDepartmentofFamilyPracticeatUBC,whereshestudies primarycarehealthworkforceissuesandreliablewaystomeasure changesinprimarycareaccess.Herotherresearchworkincludes assessingtheeffectsofmedicationsprescribedbyfamilydoctorsand howtoalterthoseprescribingpatterns.

RoundtableTeam

TheUmbrella-OurCareRoundtablewasdevelopedandmanagedby MASSLBP.MASSisCanada'srecognizedleaderinthedesignof deliberativeprocessesthatbridgethedistancebetweencitizens, stakeholders,andgovernment.Formorethanadecade,MASShasbeen designingandexecutinginnovativedeliberativeprocessesthathelp governmentsdevelopmoreeffectivepoliciesbyworkingtogetherwith theirpartnersandcommunities.Findoutmoreatmasslbp.com.

OurCarePrincipalInvestigator

Dr.TaraKiran

FamilyPhysician,St.Michael'sHospitalAcademicFamilyHealthTeam; Scientist,MAPCentreforUrbanHealthSolutions,St.Michael'sHospital, UnityHealthToronto;FidaniChairofImprovementandInnovation, UniversityofToronto

OurCareBritishColumbiaLead

Dr.GoldisMitra

FamilyPhysician,LowerMainland;ClinicalAssistantProfessor, DepartmentofFamilyPractice,UniversityofBritishColumbia

NationalProjectDirector

JasminKay

Director,MASSLBP

RoundtableModerator&ReportEditor

RichardJohnson

SeniorAssociate,MASSLBP

Interpreters(VirtualSession1)

RaniaAhmad

FanielHabtemichael

GabrielaRuiz-Nunez

SussanSobhani

ArrangedviaArchwayCommunityServices

Facilitator-Interpreters(In-personSession2)

SaidaAhmadi

FahadAlmutairi

AbrahamHagos

SelamawitHagos

FarzadHakimi

HanaHamdoun

BeatrizMelendezMejia

XochitldelaRosaSánchez

ArrangedviaUmbrellaMulticulturalHealthCooperative

Reporting&DocumentationSupport

TylerTootle

TechnicalSupport

TylerMcAlear,LMBSystems

Photography

LemaWakil

CopyEditing

JasonWhiting

Illustration

MarijaMladenović

Translation

GenevièveCodère

Venue

DouglasCollege,NewWestminster,BC

AboutOurCare

OurCareisapan-Canadianconversationwitheverydaypeopleaboutthefuture ofprimarycare.TheprojectisledbyDr.TaraKiran,afamilydoctorand renownedprimarycareresearcherbasedinToronto.OurCarehasthreestages:

1. NationalResearchSurvey

ThesurveywasonlinefromSeptember20toOctober25,2022.Morethan 9,200Canadianscompletedthesurvey,sharingtheirperspectivesand experiences.VoxPopLabsco-designedandexecutedthesurvey.

2. PrioritiesPanels

PrioritiesPanelswereheldinfiveprovinces:NovaScotia,Quebec,Ontario, BritishColumbia,andManitoba.MASSLBPco-designedandexecutedthe panelswithOurCareadvisorsandlocaldeliverypartners.

3. CommunityRoundtables

Communityroundtableswerehostedineachofthefiveprovinces, focusingonhistoricallyexcludedgroupsthatwedidnothearenoughfrom duringstages1and2.MASSLBPco-designedandexecutedthe communityroundtableswithOurCareadvisorsandlocalcommunity organizations.

OurCareProjectPartners

OurCareisfundedby:

HealthCanada

HealthCanadaistheFederaldepartmentresponsibleforhelpingCanadians maintainandimprovetheirhealth,whilerespectingindividualchoicesand circumstances.Productionofthisdocumenthasbeenmadepossiblethrougha financialcontributionfromHealthCanada.Theviewsexpressedhereindonot necessarilyrepresenttheviewsofHealthCanada.

MaxBellFoundation

MaxBellFoundationbeganmakinggrantstoCanadiancharitiesin1972.Today, theFoundationsupportsinnovativeprojectsthataredesignedtoinformpublic policychangeinfourprogramareas:Education;Environment;Health&Wellness; andCivicEngagement&DemocraticInstitutions.TheFoundationalsodelivers thePublicPolicyTrainingInstitute,aprofessionaldevelopmentprogram designedtohelpparticipantsmoreeffectivelyengageinthepublicpolicy process,andPolicyForward,afuture-orientedspeakerseriesthatbringsthought leaderstogethertodiscusstheintersectionsofpolicy,technology,and innovation.

StaplesCanada—EventheOddsCampaign

StaplesandMAPhavecometogethertocreateEventheOdds:aninitiativeto raiseawarenessofinequityinCanadaandtohelpbuildvibrant,healthy communities.Thepartnershipisbasedonthesharedbeliefthateveryone shouldhavetheopportunitytothrive.EventheOddsfundsresearchand solutionstohelpmakethefuturefairforeveryone.Learnmoreat staples.ca/eventheodds.

OurCareSupporters

OurCareisbasedat:

MAPCentreforUrbanHealthSolutions

MAPCentreforUrbanSolutionsisaresearchcentrededicatedtocreatinga healthierfutureforall.Thecentrehasafocusonscientificexcellence,rapid scale-upandlongtermcommunitypartnershipstoimprovehealthandlivesin Canada.MAPisbasedatSt.Michael’sHospitalinToronto.

St.Michael’sHospital,UnityHealthToronto

St.Michael’sHospitalisaCatholicresearchandteachinghospitalindowntown Toronto.ThehospitalispartoftheUnityHealthTorontonetworkofhospitalsthat includesProvidenceHealthcareandSt.Joseph’sHealthCentre.

OurCareissupportedby:

DepartmentofFamily&CommunityMedicine,UniversityofToronto

TheUniversityofToronto’sDepartmentofFamily&CommunityMedicineisthe largestacademicdepartmentintheworldandhometotheWorldHealth OrganizationCollaboratingCentreonFamilyMedicineandPrimaryCare.

St.Michael’sFoundation

Establishedin1992,St.Michael'sFoundationmobilizespeople,businessesand foundationstosupportSt.Michael’sHospital’sworld-leadinghealthteamsin designingthebestcare–when,whereandhowpatientsneedit.Fundssupport state-of-the-artfacilities,equipmentneeds,andresearchandeducation initiatives.BecauseSt.Michael'sFoundationstopsatnothingtodeliverthecare experiencepatientsdeserve.

AdvisoryGroups

OurCareisguidedbyseveralnationalandprovincialadvisorygroups comprisingclinicalleaders,representativesfromprofessionalorganizations, researchers,healthsystemadministrators,andpatients.Theadvisorygroups havehelpedshapeeachphaseoftheinitiative.TheOurCareBritishColumbia ProvincialAdvisoryGroupprovidedinputintopopulationsoffocusforthetwo communityroundtablesinBritishColumbiaandmembershelpedmakerelated connectionstolocalcommunityorganizations.Afulllistofadvisorygroup membersisavailableontheOurCarewebsite.

TolearnmoreaboutOurCare,pleasevisitourcare.ca.

OurCareisfundedby

OurCareisbasedat OurCareissupportedby