Exploring health equity & collective impact in the North West
In February 2016, the NCCs for Determinants of Health and Aboriginal Health hosted The North West Health Equity Forum. Using an innovative approach, the event linked over 100 stakeholders across four regions to explore a collective impact approach to improving health equity in rural/remote settings.
Presenters included Connie Clement (NCCDH); Rebecca Zappelli (Simon Fraser University and the Vancouver Mental Health and Addictions Collective Impact Study); Dr. Sandra Allison (Northern Health); Dr. Margo Greenwood (NCCAH and Northern Health); Dr. Kendra Mitchell-Foster (Northern Health); and Liz Weaver (Tamarack).
Participants built on the following areas of “readiness” for health equity and collective impact, as identified by local public health staff in northern BC, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and the Yukon:
- Child health (Prince George, BC)
- Youth mental health and wellness (Whitehorse, YT)
- Aboriginal mental health and suicide prevention (Grande Prairie, AB)
- Women and youth tobacco reduction (Prince Albert, SK)
Three weeks later, a webinar was held to share evaluation results and discuss what was learned across the four sites, as well as opportunities for next steps.
Acknowledgments
This event would not have been possible without the support of our partners and funders. Sincere thanks to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC); Northern Health – BC; the University of Northern BC; the Public Health Association of BC; the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health – Yukon, Alberta Health Services (North Zone), Northern Saskatchewan Population Health Unit, the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation, and Bridge for Health.
Related resources & event highlights
To access related resources, please see the list of links at the end of this blog, and check out our event Storify (English only) for social media updates. Should you have further questions about this event, please contact Lesley Dyck, Knowledge Translation Specialist at the NCCDH.
Related resources in our Resource Library:
- Let’s Talk: Advocacy and health equity (NCCDH, 2015)
- The equity action spectrum: Taking a comprehensive approach. Guidance for addressing inequities in health. (Whitehead, Povall & Loring, 2014)
- VIDEO: Public Health Speaks: Intersectoral action for health equity (NCCDH, 2013)
- CASE STUDY: Fostering health through healing: engaging the community to create a poverty reduction strategy in Nunavut (NCCDH, 2014)
- Pathways to improving well-being for Indigenous peoples: How living conditions decide health (Reading & Halseth, 2013)