#Congratulations to this year's award recipients!
The Alliance for Healthier Communities congratulates the 2022 recipients of individual and team/organization Transformative Change Awards! Your work inspires us to more change and advocacy in support of health equity.
For over 30 years at our annual conference, the Alliance has recognized individuals, teams and organizations for extraordinary contributions to improving the health and wellbeing of people and communities across the province. Transformative Change Awards celebrate leaders, innovators, collaborators and health champions who have been working at the forefront of transformative change for health equity. The awards were presented at a gala on June 8 hosted by spoken word artist and performer Britta B., and Alliance Board Chair Liben Gebremikael (TAIBU).
Below you will find a full list of recipients and related videos and photos:
#Transformative Change Awards (3)
The Transformative Change Awards (teams/organizations) celebrate exceptional examples of the Model of Health and Wellbeing (MHWB) or the Model of Wholistic Health and Wellbeing (MWHWB) (for Indigenous organizations) in action and recognizes people, programs and services that champion transformative change to improve the health and wellbeing of people and communities facing barriers to health.
#Consumption and Treatment Services -- Kingston Community Health Centres
The Consumption and Treatment Services team established themselves as a community leader in Kingston by providing care in a unique and innovative way for those who use substances. Since the beginning of the pandemic, they have adapted services and co-created a community-based 24/7 Integrated Care Hub. The creation of this new model has resulted in a significant increase in access to Consumption and Treatment services - by 250%. The model provides enhanced wraparound care and has allowed for the Harm Reduction approach to be embraced by partners and community members. As a result, the team has been able to achieve a greater impact and ensure a more coordinated and integrated care is available and more readily accessible to people who use substances, where and when they need it.
Watch the feature video to learn more:
#COVID-19 Response, TAIBU Community Health Centre
From the start of the pandemic, TAIBU played a significant role in addressing the impact of COVID-19 particularly on the health and wellbeing of the Black, Indigenous and racialized communities in the Greater Toronto Area. The coordinated response across partners, including the Black Physicians Association of Ontario, took several forms, including advocacy (race-based data collection), grassroots community engagement and information-sharing campaigns, facilitating access to testing, planning and developing for a cultural responsive vaccine rollout, and providing practical, emotional and financial support to impacted communities. The approach taken was culturally responsive and took the historical context of people of African descent into serious consideration in its plan, development and implementation of the various pandemic response activities. Over 15,000 members of communities were provided with information on COVID-19 and related issues, over 5,000 individuals impact by COVID-19 were provided income and housing support. Over 36,000 community members were provided vaccines at TAIBU.
Watch the feature video to learn more:
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#Southwestern Ontario Youth Gender Diversity Clinic - Chatham-Kent Community Health Centres & Windsor-Essex Community Health Centre
The Southwestern Ontario Youth Gender Diversity Clinic began at Chatham-Kent Community Health Centres in partnership with Dr. Ian Johnston, a local pediatrician with 10 years of experience and passion for serving transgender youth. After the clinic was launched in September 2021, news of this service quickly spread due to existing gaps for affirmative services and transportation barriers for clients. As an integral partner connecting youth to care, TransWellness stimulated many referrals from Windsor-Essex. To deliver in-person accessible care in Windsor, Chatham-Kent CHCs collaborated with Windsor-Essex Community Health Centre to offer services at their Teen Health site. The providers credit a collaborative and open-learning approach that is helping to expand access to Transgender services throughout primary care in the southwestern region of the province.
Watch the feature video to learn more:
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#Individual Award Recipients
#Denise Brooks Health Equity Champion Awards
The award is named after Denise Brooks who was the Executive Director of Hamilton Urban Core Community Health Centre for more than 25 years. Denise had a long history of social advocacy, community service and development in the city of Hamilton. She worked relentlessly to bring about change in the pursuit of social justice.
Denise is remembered for her commitment to health equity. Throughout her career, Denise worked to improve life for the most marginalized. She was committed to leaving no one behind. In the years before she passed, Denise led important work addressing social inequality in Hamilton and highlighting the detrimental impact of poverty on health.
The Denise Brooks Health Equity Champion award celebrates exceptional examples of the Health Equity Charter in action and recognizes an individual who demonstrates outstanding contributions to dismantling barriers to equitable health and championing policies and interventions that challenge discrimination and oppression, and address social conditions causing health inequities. Additionally, the award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to poverty reduction, advancing social justice and shows a strong commitment to anti-oppression, including commitment to addressing racism against Black and Indigenous people.
Cheryl Prescod, Black Creek Community Health Centre (pictured below)
Nancy Henderson, Peterborough 360 Degree Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic (pictured below)
#Joe Leonard Award
This award is named after LAMP Community Health Centre’s first Executive Director, Joseph Patrick Leonard. The purpose of this award is to recognize individuals like Joe Leonard who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership, commitment and support for creative solutions to accessible, high quality and affordable health care.
Bill Davidson, Langs
#Adrianna Tetley Legacy Award
The award is named after Adrianna Tetley, Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance for Healthier Communities for more than 16 years. Always passionate about improving the health and wellbeing for people facing barriers, Adrianna helped put health equity on the agenda at many provincial tables. She has been a powerful force that has shaped the health equity and comprehensive primary health care landscape in the province.
The Adrianna Tetley Legacy Award honours an emerging leader in the primary health care transformation landscape who demonstrates Adrianna’s tenacity and determination to improve the health and wellbeing of people and communities facing barriers to health as well as the Alliance’s personality: inspired, open, perceptive, savvy, and feisty.
Emily Rashotte, Gateway Community Health Centre (pictured below)
#Community Health Champion Award
The Community Health Champion Award is given to a partner of the Alliance whose work is helping advance health equity and who both inspires and amplifies the work of Alliance members towards improved health outcomes for marginalized people.
Caroline Lidstone-Jones, Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (pictured below)
#Media Award
The annual Alliance Media Award is given to a journalist who demonstrates strong allyship to marginalized populations and who helps advance health equity through their reporting and investigative work.
Faiza Amin, CityNews