Starting this month, and continuing throughout the fall and into 2024, Alliance members who are Community Health Centres (CHCs) will be engaged in the campaign CHCs Work.
CHCs WORK CAMPAIGN ResourceS for members
This campaign will present the evidence and key reasons why CHCs are effective for improving the health of marginalized people, that they improve population health, that they’re nimble in crises and at supporting other parts of the health and social services systems, and that the time has come for a major investment – in existing CHCs in Ontario, and at expanding into communities that are currently underserved by comprehensive primary health care.
This is a story of access, a story of health equity, a story of health promotion, a story of community development all of which is demonstrated by evidence.
Most of all, this is a story about why CHCs matter to every single person who lives in Ontario, whether they receive services directly at a CHC or not.
We will be engaging in several types of activities, alongside Alliance member CHCs, to highlight and amplify the following key messages about CHCs:
- CHCs work for people’s health.
- CHCs work – here’s the proof.
- CHCs work for our health and social systems.
We will use targeted and simple social media messages. We will also use press releases both at the provincial level and locally. We are providing members with templates and sample messages and graphics to help in local efforts across the province.
By speaking with a unified, evidence-informed set of messages, our goal is to reach people across Ontario, including local and provincial political leaders, health policymakers and others in positions of influence, to make the strong case for why CHCs work and, with funding, are an important solution to the health care crisis in Ontario.
CHCs need funding and resources to continue to lead for community health in Ontario. Here are some of cases for why:
What do Community Health Centres do? (2022)
Emergency Department Costs Averted Attributed to Community Health Centres in Ontario (2023)
Family medicine for all: Community health centres serve their neighbours (CBC)
CHCs Work For Health Equity. Learn more about how “CHCs help address health-equity issues among underserved populations” (McMaster University)
CHCs have saved the health system money for years (ICES, 2012)
CHCs use tools, like Social Prescribing, that address people’s social and non-medical needs (2023 Family Medicine Report, University of Toronto)