Healthy Communities is a concept that recognizes that the places where we live, work, and play have a direct impact on our health. To help move this concept forward, HPEPH has created a multi-disciplinary team of public health professionals that work with municipalities and community partners on a variety of issues such as food insecurity, healthy eating, healthy environments, physical activity promotion, substance use, active transportation and road safety, violence prevention, and the social determinants of health such as housing, income, and health services. One of our team members is named Lauren. She is a Health Promoter who is working with Quinte West and has a passion for creating healthy public spaces. If you ask Lauren what her job involves she says, “I work as a bridge between Public Health and municipal staff and their work, which impacts the health and well-being of residents. I use my public health knowledge to advocate for healthy public programs and policies. I also engage with various partners by working on committees and aim to serve as a connection between public health and the community at large.” The Healthy Communities Team has recently developed a model where one health promoter is assigned to a geographic subregion in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties. Lauren is the lead health promoter for the Quinte West region and in this role, participates in the Quinte West Mental Health and Substance Use Action Table, which contributes to the implementation of Quinte West’s Community Safety and Well-Being Plan. The Healthy Communities Team also has plans to reach out directly to all municipalities in Hastings and Prince Edward in 2023 to determine what their priorities are and how HPEPH might be able to assist with these to improve the health and well-being of residents. How can the Healthy Communities team assist municipalities? All Healthy Communities team members have knowledge in relevant local health data sources, research, evaluation, and facilitation and on the Health in All Policies (HiAP) model. “Health in all Policies is a concept we use when reviewing public policies to ensure that the health and well-being of residents is always considered,” explains Lauren. “For example, municipalities might ask us about policies related to alcohol sales. In response, we can provide guidance to staff or council describing the possible health impacts of the policy in question. This is just one small example of how the HiAP concept can be used.” How can you find more about the Healthy Communities program? If you would like to find out more about building healthy communities or the new Healthy Communities model please feel free to visit the Healthy Communities web page or email the team directly at healthycommunities@hpeph.ca. | Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health was released on January 17 as an update to the 2011 Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines (LRADG), with a key message that Canadians have the right to know the latest, most accurate information about the risks of alcohol consumption. Our relationship with alcohol is complicated. Alcohol is an accepted part of our culture and society despite being a leading preventable cause of death and disability, injuries, accidents, and social problems like violence. Alcohol consumption not only increases the risk of liver disease and most types of heart disease, it can also cause at least seven types of cancer. When it comes to alcohol, less is better. Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health states that the risk of harm from alcohol is: - Low for individuals who consume two standard drinks or fewer per week;
- Moderate for those who consume between three and six standard drinks per week; and
- Increasingly high for those who consume seven or more standard drinks per week.
In addition, drinking more than two standard drinks per drinking occasion increases the risk of harms to self and others, like injuries and violence. One standard drink is the equivalent of a 12 oz bottle of beer, a 5 oz glass of wine, or 1.5 oz of spirits. How can Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health contribute to healthy communities? The new guidance is an invitation for community members to reflect on the harms that can be created by alcohol use but are often overlooked. - Individuals can reflect on their own alcohol consumption and consider a new weekly drinking target.
- Health care providers can help make clients aware, and work to better manage the risks associated with drinking alcohol.
- Governments and community partners can implement policies that promote public health.
The Healthy Communities team is currently reviewing the new guidance to determine opportunities for local promotion, advocacy, and integration into HPEPH programs. HPEPH will continue to advocate for evidence-based policies that reduce alcohol-related harms, such as regulation of alcohol marketing, limiting alcohol availability, and strengthening alcohol pricing policies. Specifically, CCSA suggests that an effective policy change could be the mandatory labelling of alcohol beverages with the number of standard drinks in a container, Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health, and health warnings. To learn more and see the rest of the guidance, check out the Public Summary Infographic or read the Final Report. Municipalities are encouraged to contact us about implementing alcohol policies and municipalities can also encourage individuals who want to reduce their alcohol consumption to visit hpePublicHealth.ca/getting-help/ for community resources and supports. | The Wellbeing Policy Turn: Four Central Government Initiatives and the Role of Public Health (Recorded Webinar) - National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy This webinar introduces the recent trend towards policy-making that supports well-being by looking at how this trend has emerged and reporting on the well-being policies of the governments of Scotland, New Zealand, Finland, and Wales. Viewing this recorded webinar provides an opportunity to consider how these policies connect with public health concerns and the role that public health played in addressing them. Watch the webinar recording at https://youtu.be/4K-8z6yJFSQ . Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) Attainable Housing Task Force – Helping rural Ontarians get a foot in the door Affordable housing is a major issue in all areas of this province, and rural Ontarians can face unique challenges in this regard. In April 2022, the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) formed the Attainable Housing Task Force as the first step of its action plan, Opportunities For Rural Ontario in a Post-COVID World. The Task Force is comprised of housing industry experts, municipal staff, and ROMA Board members. They have recently created a backgrounder and a full report which includes recommendations to improve rural housing opportunities, including provincial regulatory amendments and collaboration and cooperation among all housing stakeholders. Some of the other major recommendations include increasing infrastructure funding, working towards more digital connectivity, and increasing local collaboration in health care, all of which can lead rural Ontario communities towards a healthier future. Ending Poverty Pathways Course (online) – Tamarack Institute This course from the Tamarack Institute intends to support government, business, non-profit, and lived/living experience leaders to understand, advocate for, and advance high-impact pathways to end poverty in their communities. The course is divided into five lessons: - Lesson One: The End of Poverty,
- Lesson Two: Ending Working Poverty
- Lesson Three: Federal, Provincial and Territorial Governments Ending Poverty
- Lesson Four: Cities and Communities Ending Poverty
- Lesson Five: Big Ideas for Ending Poverty
The fee for this course is $249 for individuals or $199 for a group rate. Register here. What Problem Are You Trying to Solve? - Tamarack Institute One of the most challenging aspects of working collaboratively, particularly when there are different perspectives about the issue being addressed, is to reach a shared understanding of the issue and how best to address it. This paper from the Collaborative Leadership & Governance Series explores two dimensions that partners must agree on before working together to discover promising solutions: - Confirming what type of problem you are trying to solve, and
- Defining the goal(s) of the hoped-for solution.
This paper encourages the use of personal storytelling for planning as it can help complex issues such as homelessness or substance use seem more concrete and approachable for communities to tackle. | Connections for healthier communities | HPEPH Seniors Dental Clinics The Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program (OSDCP) provides free, high quality routine dental care to all qualifying seniors (65 years or older). Seniors are more prone to dental decay, gum disease, and oral cancer than other groups, so it is important to have regular dental checkups. Untreated dental issues can lead to more problems in the future, including chronic disease. For eligibility requirements and/or to apply online, please visit: https://www.ontario.ca/page/dental-care-low-income-seniors. Limited Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program (OSDCP) services are now available by appointment. Interested individuals can call 613-966-5500 ext. 680 to discuss eligibility and make an appointment. Please note that due to high demand, there may be some delay before being seen. HPE COVID-19, Cold and Flu Care Clinics These new clinics initiated through the Hastings Prince Edward Ontario Health Team were recently created to help address the surge in RSV and Influenza in the hospital system. Residents experiencing COVID-19, cold, or flu symptoms who have been unable to book an appointment with their primary care provider are able to make an appointment at one of several locations. Appointments for the clinics must be pre-booked, and anyone experiencing severe symptoms including severe difficulty breathing, severe chest pain, confusion, loss of consciousness, and children under the age of two months with a fever greater than 38 degrees are instructed to call 911 or visit the emergency department. Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund The Community Fund is an annual grant opportunity that provides funding to registered charities across Canada. The purpose of the grant is to support projects that increase access to mental health care, supports, and services in communities across Canada. Successful applicants will receive funding of up to $25,000 for one year. Grant applications are now open and will be accepted until 11:59pm on March 15th. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://letstalk.bell.ca/get-funding/#community-fund. | Healthy communities success story | The Municipality of Tweed The Municipality of Tweed has been called “a little village with a huge heart”, and with good reason. To help keep residents active and engaged they have been offering a variety of FREE physical activity events under the umbrella program called “Let’s Move Municipality of Tweed!”. | | This initiative has been supported financially by Hydro One. Just this past month alone there have been free beginner boot camps, cardio kickboxing and snowshoeing. If skating is more your speed, there have been and continue to be many free public skate times that have been sponsored by local businesses. This is a great example of a community working together to keep residents happy and healthy. To find out more about these and other community events in Tweed, visit their events calendar here. To learn how HPEPH can help you work towards a healthier community, contact us at healthycommunities@hpeph.ca. | Stay tuned for our next bulletin coming in the Spring of 2023! If you have any colleagues or partners who may be interested in receiving information and updates from Healthy Communities, please share this bulletin and encourage them to subscribe through our online subscription form. | Hastings Prince Edward Public Health is situated and provides services on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Huron-Wendat and Haudenosaunee people. | | | | |
