CHC Approach to Care


Model of Health and Wellbeing

The Alliance for Healthier Communities has developed an evidence-informed Model of Health and Wellbeing (MHWB) to guide delivery of primary health care.

The model defines health in the same way as the World Health Organization:
“a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Like the World Health Organization, our goal is to achieve better health for all. To reach this goal, our model champions transformative change for people and communities facing barriers to health.

Guiding Principles

When a centre adopts our model, it commits to the following guiding principles:

The Highest Quality, People- and Community-Centred Primary Health Care
We commit to continuous improvement in the quality of services and programs with all efforts oriented to meet the specific needs of the people and communities being served.

Health Equity and Social Justice
We design services and programs to reduce health disparities and inequities. We also advocate for healthier public policy and against unfair practices and prejudices that harm people’s health.

Community Vitality and Belonging
We partner with community members to build safe and caring communities where everyone is valued and feels like they belong.

Our Model’s Attributes

Population Needs-Based Planning
Centres strive to improve the health and wellbeing of the entire population in their catchment area. They assess the needs of different demographic groups and develop action plans to address them.

A Community Development Approach
Centres work with community members to develop solutions that support healthy living. For example: community gardens, affordable housing projects, and civic engagement campaigns enable community members to actively participate in public policy decision making.

A Strong Focus on the Determinants of Health
Centres mitigate the impact of the many non-medical determinants of health. For example, to serve people facing socio-economic challenges, centres provide additional supports: transit tickets to get to health appointments, counselling on how to secure employment or access to additional social services and peer support groups. Centres also advocate for healthier public policies that enable people to access a healthy environment and afford other basic necessities of life.

Interprofessional, Integrated and Coordinated
Membership in interprofessional teams extends well beyond clinical providers to include health promoters, social workers, outreach and community development workers. Teams collaborate with a wide range of primary care providers, as well as other parts of the health and social service system.

Anti-oppression and Culturally Safe Practices
Centres recognize many populations face discrimination that harms their health and wellbeing. They ensure their staff receive ongoing training in anti-oppression and culturally safe practices.

Accessibility
The priority is providing appropriate access to everyone, no matter who they are or where they live. Accessibility requires breaking down all racial, cultural, linguistic, physical, social, economic, legal and geographic barriers that prevent people from accessing health services.

Community Centredness and Community Governance
Based on what they learn through a wide range of engagement processes, centres constantly reorient their services to meet communities’ changing needs. Community-centredness is strengthened by another defining feature of the model: community governance. It’s community members who set the strategic direction of the centre that serves them.

Accountability and Efficiency
Community governance also ensures centres are accountable to their communities and their funders. In addition, centres develop and apply reporting indicators so funders can track their performance with respect to effectiveness and efficiency.

Source: Alliance for Healthier Communities

 

Client Rights

South East Grey Community Health Centre supports the rights of the client to independent expression, choice and action, and strives to ensure that each individual is given respect, dignity, consideration, privacy and opportunities to participate. These rights include:

  • To be treated with dignity and respect without discrimination
  • Access to care and treatment within the limits of resources available
  • Access to a safe and secure service environment
  • Receiving information concerning their diagnosis, treatment options including rationale, risks and benefits and prognosis
  • Encouragement to actively participate in the planning of their care
  • Choice in available resources
  • Privacy and confidentiality of records, except where required by law
  • The right to refuse treatment
  • To make a complaint or compliment

 

Health Centre clients have the following responsibilities in accessing health centre services:

  • Respectful treatment of health centre staff, volunteers and other clients/program participants, verbal abuse of staff is not tolerated.
  • Active participation in their own self-care
  • Prompt arrival for appointments
  • Timely notification of appointment cancellations
  • Respectful and prudent use of health centre resources
  • Immediate notification of address and contact information changes.
  • Notification of  a diagnosed communicable disease, if participating in group program

Source: Clinical Policy 5.6 - Patient or Client Rights