Analysis of the Somerset Community Health Center
Primary Health Care centers are essential government facilities that were built up to give cheap and accessible essential medicinal services to individuals of the general public. Primary health care centers are the first choice for most people for health-related matters. Primary health care centers are mostly run by general practitioners but also other professionals such as pharmacists, dentists and opticians provide primary health care services. Primary health care centers play an important role in the society and medical care provision s they receive a large number of people with different queries and concerns each day (Suter et al., 2017).
The primary objectives of Canadian Primary Health Care providers include enhanced acquiring of essential care administrations; improved systematization and assimilation of care; extension of group-based ways to deal with clinical care; enhanced propriety of care, giving attention to aversion and managing immedicable and complex disease; more education on importance of self care to patients the usage and utilization of information technology system for patient’s medical records, more satisfactory services for both patient and health provider, conveyance of a characterized set of administrations to a particular populace, appropriation of a populace based way to deal with designing and providing care, open cooperation in administration and basic leadership, building limit with regards to quality change, responsiveness to patients’ and networks’ needs, more noteworthy health value, healthcare framework responsibility, proficiency, supportability(Hutchison, Levesque, Strumpf & Coyle, 2011). In order to achieve these goals, the government of Canada and the primary health care providers need to apply strategies in every health care center around the country using given policies.
When searching the internet, I came across the Somerset West Community Health Center (https://swchc.on.ca/) and I was interested in learning more about them and the services they provide. Somerset West Community Health Center is one of the best non-benefits; community-based and administered association that gives essential healthcare services, healthcare advancement and social improvement in Canada. The healthcare center offers a wide assortment of projects and services intended to address the issues of their locale through Primary Care, Health Promotion, Families and Children, Mental Health and Addictions and in addition Chronic Disease Management. The center has been providing services to residents of Ottawa River to Carling Avenue and Island Park to Lyon Street for over 45 years. The center is run by a Board of Directors and their services provision is guided by well-defined vision, mission, beliefs and aspirations. The center has a team of highly qualified health professionals and social workers.
The Somerset West Community Health Center is guided by the principles of health provision according to the Canada Health Act. These principles are; accessibility, health promotion, use of technology, public/ community involvement/ participation, and inter-sectoral alliances (Canadian Nurses Association, 2003).
The Community Health Center ensures the accessibility of health care services for all residents residing in Ottawa. This is through providing services from Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 p.m and up to 7:30 p.m for Tuesday and Thursdays. The center also ensures that the needs of their clients are met by use of an accessibility plan to reach all patients and learn about their diverse needs and come up with strategies for the patients to access the services. An accessibility plan for the center is available online at https://swchc.on.ca/sites/default/files/SWCHC_Accessibility_Plan_2018-03-01_0.pdf. The health center also provides services for walk-in patients every day from 1:00 p.m to 4:30 p.m. This ensures that both the clients with appointments and those without appointments are all provided with primary health care services. Also, the clinic offers clients surveys to weigh the client’s satisfaction levels and also learn on how they can improve their services and access. Their sample survey is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/client-experience-2016.
The center also ensures health promotion through various community programs. Such programs include the after-school educational program for children, one on one support for patients and the general community, social events such as society kitchen program for adults, summer camps for youths and leadership programs for youths. Also, the center provides a primary health care awareness program that is coordinated by nurses and social workers who provide health check-ups, screenings, and referrals for old people. This is important in the promotion of health of old people and management of chronic sickness (Levasseur et al 2017).
Other programs provided by the center are the Supervised Consumption Site, Educational Program on Lung health and therapy for individuals who want to quit smoking, an education program on mental health, a health program for newcomers such as refugees and pre and post-pregnancy education program (Stuart et al., 2014)
The center also in both their website and in print provides intensive resources that educate the public on various aspects of healthcare from immunization to management of chronic diseases to prevention of some diseases and advisable practices for good health. All these programs ensure that the community is well informed of the health issues already existing and those arising every day and taught on the preventative and curative measures (Stuart et al., 2014)
The Somerset West community center uses technology and information system skills in their provision of services in their day to day operations. They have a well-functioning website that has the contacts of the medical practitioners for use in case of queries or booking of consultation appointment. The website also provides a comprehensive map and directions for residents who might be new or who do not know the location of the center and wish to visit them. They also make use of social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Youtube for interaction with patients, media sharing for the provision of public with more knowledge, and customer care services. They also send clients and patient’s newsletters to convey the various programs available in the center, upcoming events and general health advice. This makes the process of educating the public on health easier and also accessible to all. The use of electronic records also ensures efficiency in place of work (Paré et al., 2015)
The Somerset West Community Health Care Center has interpectoral partnerships as it has partnered with several bodies that donate funds for them. It has also partnered with other health care centers and the general public and it includes their professional team which is made of nurses, pharmacists, dentists, and opticians. This partnership ensures the mutual relationship between the bodies and thus more resources are available for healthcare support and provision and education plans. With enough resources and workforce, there is a better chance of community development through sufficient health care (Chircop, Bassett & Taylor, 2015)
The health center has also involved the community and general public in their programs and operations. This is through community programs such as community kitchens for adults, after-school programs for school children and referrals for old people to community resources. This involvement ensures that every member of the society is a part of the community growth and all individuals benefit from this programs and participation. In addition, every individual is pushed to work on their self-care and management. (Freund et al., 2015)
Through the use of governing principles of technology, public participation, health promotion, and accessibility of health care services, the Somerset West Community Health Care Center promotes the themes of populace/ society well being, advancement of good health practices and defensive and preventative courses against diseases. This promotes individual growth, community growth, and thus the economic development of the society. The center achieves this through measures against the determinants of health care in Canada. Healthy behaviors are primary health determinants. Through education programs to children, youths, adults and the elderly on behaviors that promote health, the society is more equipped to learn the hazardous behaviors and the commendable practices and employ them on their day to day lives. In addition, these education programs provide literacy on health issues and how to avoid them (Hajizadeh, Bombay & Asada 2018).
Education and literacy is a determinant of health in the society and the more educated the members of the society are the healthier the daily practices thus promoting community well being. Another determinant of health that the center educates and helps eliminate is childhood experiences through after-school education programs that educate children on proper hygiene and good health practices and diets. (Bélanger et al. 2016 ). Through the accessibility of health care services and social support, better health is attained. The SWCHC helps achieve this through programs and teachings on various chronic diseases, non-communicable diseases, mental health, and caring for the old and frail members of the community and provision of readily available and affordable health care services to all members of the society despite different incomes and social status. (Greenwood, Leeuw, Lindsay & Reading 2015).
Conclusion
Primary Healthcare is an essential part for community development and well being and is an issue that requires maximum efforts by the general public, healthcare centers and the state government to ensure a healthy community which in turn means an economically developed society and thus people can afford healthy lifestyle (Hutchison 2008).
In comparison to my friend’s report on the Oceanside Health Center enhancement project for the Primary Health Care, it is clear that many Primary health care providers and centers main aim is community development through populace health promotion. Both the Somerset West Community Health Care Center and the Oceanside Health Center apply the five basic principles of health care providers to guide their everyday practices and ensure community growth. Both health centers are accessible, promote public well being, and utilize technology and IT skills, the involvement of the general public and inter-sectoral collaboration through partnerships with both private and governmental institutions.
References
Hutchison, B., Levesque, J. F., Strumpf, E., & Coyle, N. (2011). Primary health care in Canada: systems in motion. The Milbank Quarterly, 89(2), 256-288.
Hutchison, B. (2008). A long time coming: primary healthcare renewal in Canada. HealthcarePapers, 8(2), 10-24.
Canadian Nurses Association. (2003). Primary health care: A summary of the issue. Retrieved from https://www.cnaaiic.ca/~/media/cna/pagecontent/pdfen/bg7_primary_health_care_e.pdf?la=en
Greenwood, M.,De Leeuw, S., Lindsay, N. M., & Reading, C. (Eds.). (2015). Determinants of Indigenous Peoples’ Health. Canadian Scholars’ Press.
Hajizadeh, M., Hu, M., Bombay, A., & Asada, Y. (2018). Socioeconomic inequalities in health among Indigenous peoples living off-reserve in Canada: Trends and determinants. Health Policy.
Freund, T., Everett, C., Griffiths, P., Hudon, C., Naccarella, L., & Laurant, M. (2015). Skill mix, roles and remuneration in the primary care workforce: who are the healthcare professionals in the primary care teams across the world?. International journal of nursing studies, 52(3), 727-743.
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Chircop, A., Bassett, R., & Taylor, E. (2015). Evidence on how to practice intersectoral collaboration for health equity: a scoping review. Critical Public Health, 25(2), 178-191.
Bélanger, M., Humbert, L., Vatanparast, H., Ward, S., Muhajarine, N., Chow, A. F., … & Leis, A. (2016). A multilevel intervention to increase physical activity and improve healthy eating and physical literacy among young children (ages 3-5) attending early childcare centers: the Healthy Start-Départ Santé cluster randomised controlled trial study protocol. BMC Public Health, 16(1), 313.
Levasseur, M., Dubois, M. F., Généreux, M., Menec, V., Raina, P., Roy, M., … & St-Pierre, C. (2017). Capturing how age-friendly communities foster positive health, social participation and health equity: a study protocol of key components and processes that promote population health in aging Canadians. BMC public health, 17(1), 502.
Paré, G., Raymond, L., de Guinea, A. O., Poba-Nzaou, P., Trudel, M. C., Marsan, J., & Micheneau, T. (2015). Electronic health record usage behaviors in primary care medical practices: a survey of family physicians in Canada. International journal of medical informatics, 84(10), 857-867.
Suter, E., Mallinson, S., Misfeldt, R., Boakye, O., Nasmith, L., & Wong, S. T. (2017). Advancing team-based primary health care: a comparative analysis of policies in western Canada. BMC health services research, 17(1), 493.
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