Evidence from around the world shows that enhancing access to high quality comprehensive primary care for disadvantaged people and communities is one of them most important directions for addressing health inequalities. Community health centres are a vital part of this direction in Canada and many other countries, and the recent AOHC conference on Health Equity: Pushing the Boundaries highlighted how to drive this into action on the ground (I spoke on how do this). Read the rest of this entry »
By: Bob Gardner
On: Jul. 23, 2010
Primary Care as A Key Driver of Health Equity
By: Bob Gardner
On: Jul. 23, 2010
Health Equity: Pushing the Boundaries
The theme of the Association of Ontario Health Centre’s annual conference was building equity and diversity into the core of community-based primary care and health promotion. I set out a broad framework on how to drive health equity into action through comprehensive strategies and clear priorities, putting these goals into practice through good planning and resource allocation, Read the rest of this entry »
By: Bob Gardner
On: Jul. 22, 2010
Driving Health Equity Into Action
I spoke at the Changing Face of Ontario conference organized by Across Boundaries, the Canadian Mental Health Association and other mental health organizations and networks. My workshop focused on developing comprehensive health equity strategies and priorities, putting them into practice through good planning and resource allocation, Read the rest of this entry »
By: Bob Gardner
On: Jul. 20, 2010
Health Equity Roadmap
There is always a huge amount to be learnt from equity strategy and interventions in other countries. I presented a lecture on health equity strategy in Ontario and Canada to a seminar of public health professors and other leaders in Berlin. Read the rest of this entry »
By: Bob Gardner
On: Jul. 20, 2010
Health Equity Strategy Into Action for Public Health
The Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion has a vital role in supporting an innovative and effective public health system. The Agency has highlighted equity in its strategic priorities. I presented a workshop there on how to build equity into practice through planning, priority setting, resource allocation and performance management, and how health promotion can be approached through an equity lens. Read the rest of this entry »
By: Bob Gardner
On: Jul. 20, 2010
Using Health Equity Impact Assessment Creatively: Local Mental Health Strategy
To drive health equity into practice we need to be able to identify the specific needs of health disadvantaged populations, key access barriers, and gaps in available services for these communities. Health Equity Impact Assessment is an effective planning tool that is increasingly being used within LHINs and in many other jurisdictions to build equity into service provision I recently presented a workshop to the Mental Health and Addictions Decision Support Working Group of the Toronto Central LHIN on how HEIA could be applied to developing quality improvement plans and indicators. Read the rest of this entry »
By: Bob Gardner
On: Jun. 18, 2010
Elevator Speech on Health Equity
It’s really hard to boil down complex policy and social challenges into snappy and popular language. Here is a recent attempt in an interview I did at the Association of Ontario Health Centres conference.
By: Bob Gardner
On: Jun. 17, 2010
Why Hospitals Need to Build Health Equity In
I was speaking to a hospital board member about the challenges of hospitals building health equity into their planning and service delivery. Some hospitals have shown significant leadership in prioritizing health equity and identifying ways their services can address health disparities and access barriers; other less so. I think there are five key arguments to hospital boards that have not sufficiently prioritized equity. Read the rest of this entry »
By: Bob Gardner
On: May. 19, 2010
Health Equity Into Action Through Good Planning: Health Equity Impact Assessment
I recently presented a workshop to senior staff at a Toronto academic hospital on Health Equity Impact Assessment. We need good planning to operationalize equity within hospitals, community health centres and other service providers and HEIA is an effective planning tool. Read the rest of this entry »
By: Bob Gardner
On: May. 12, 2010
Thinking/Designing Urban Spaces for Population Health
An interesting recent report from New Zealand highlights the importance of urban environments for population health. Healthy Places, Healthy Lives examines research evidence and sets out a number of case studies that illustrate ways to design cities, towns, neighbourhoods and streets to promote health. Read the rest of this entry »
