The Culture, Diversity and Equity Project - Ensuring Accessibility to Appropriate Health Care for All - updated April 30, 2010

Introduction

Despite Health Canada’s stated overall goal—to maintain and improve the health of the entire population and to reduce inequities in health between population groups (Health Canada, 1998)—there is mounting evidence that Canadians who are socially or culturally marginalized  experience worse health outcomes than the general Canadian population.

Mandate

In order to ensure “equal opportunity for good health for all” (Gardner, 2008), the Central East LHIN initiated the Culture, Diversity, and Equity Project (CDE Project), aimed at reducing these health differences within its geographic boundaries by proposing:

• Policies for health service organizations
• A monitoring system through compliance and accountability agreements
• An educational framework for health service providers

Project Actions

• Conduct an extensive literature review with a regional, national and international scope 
• Conduct 23 focus groups with diverse community members and health care professionals in Scarborough, Durham, and the North East clusters
• Conduct 3 community forums to share our findings and discuss our proposed recommendations
• Conduct an online community consultation (survey) for community members and health service providers to review the draft recommendations

Project Outcomes

• User guides for health service providers and newcomers in the Central East LHIN to facilitate access to culturally and linguistically competent services and services for uninsured clients
• Recommendations to the Central East LHIN board regarding culture, diversity, and equity for policies, monitoring, and education
• A policy implementation framework for health service organizations

Project Report - new 

The project has now been completed and the Project Committee delivered their Final Report to the Board of the Central East LHIN in March 2010.  To access a copy of the Report, please click on the links below: 

Culture Diversity and Equity Project - Final Report 

• CDE Appendix 1 Literature Review 
• CDE Appendix 2 Environmental Scan 
• CDE Appendix 3 Focus Groups 
• CDE Appendix 4 Community Consultation 
• CDE Appendix 5 Reference Guides 
• CDE Appendix 6 Full Recommendations 

Project Committee

The project was hosted by the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care.

References

• Health Canada. (1998).Taking action on population health. Ottawa, Canada: Published by authority of the Minister of Health.
• Gardner, B. (2008a). Toronto Central LHIN Health Equity Discussion Paper. http://www.torontocentrallhin.on.ca/ uploadedFiles/Home_Page/Report_and_Publications/Health%20Equity%20Discussion%20Paper%20v1.0.pdf.