Addressing deep-seated health inequities requires comprehensive strategies drawing on the insights and innovation of communities and community-based providers.One useful tool that can support good planning and engagement is the Health Equity Impact Assessment (HEIA). Read the rest of this entry »
By: Bob Gardner
On: Jun. 24, 2011
Planning for Health Equity: Mental Health Promotion and Care
By: Bob Gardner
On: May. 11, 2011
Complex social and policy problems require sophisticated planning tools and strategy
This is a presentation to the policy and management staff at the Canadian Mental Health Association — Ontario on how Health Equity Impact Assessment, Mental Health Wellbeing Assessment and others tools can be used to ensure mental health is embedded in health equity strategy — and equally important, that equity is embedded in mental health strategy.
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By: Bob Gardner
On: Apr. 20, 2011
Ontario doctors call for an end to three-month wait for OHIP
In earlier posts, I argued that the province should not implement policies that directly – and knowingly – make health disparities worse. Requiring new immigrants and others to wait three months for OHIP coverage is just such a policy. Read the rest of this entry »
By: Bob Gardner
On: Mar. 27, 2011
Strategy, Ideas and Tools for the Midwifery Movement
Midwifery has played a transformative role within the healthcare system: not just in providing excellent care to many women, but in empowering women to be able to better control their overall reproductive and sexual lives. As well as being a innovative profession and crucial part of the spectrum of women-centred services, it has also always been part of a wider reproductive rights movement. Read the rest of this entry »
By: Bob Gardner
On: Mar. 18, 2011
Implementing Mental Health Equity in Hospitals
Mental health is a crucial part of health and health equity. I presented to Grand Rounds Psychiatry at a Toronto academic hospital on how to build equity into planning and delivering high-quality psychiatric treatment. Read the rest of this entry »
By: Bob Gardner
On: Mar. 18, 2011
Building Equity and Social Determinants of Health Into ‘Healthy Communities’ Planning
View more presentations from Wellesley Institute.
By: Bob Gardner
On: Mar. 17, 2011
Equity-Focused Planning: Drilling Down in Psychiatry and Clarifying Our Conceptual Framework
One crucial component of ensuring more equitable health care is good planning, and one effective tool is Health Equity Impact Assessment. We just published two new primers on HEIA and Mental Well-being Impact Assessment and we have been presenting a number of workshops to providers and planners. Read the rest of this entry »
Health Equity Toolkit: Planning and Other Resources for LHINs
This resource provides a range of tools, techniques, briefing notes, research findings and other resources LHINs, and the providers and stakeholders they partner with, can use to implement health equity strategies and initiatives in the most effective ways for their regions and needs.
By: Bob Gardner
On: Feb. 7, 2011
Welcome to Ontario – Don’t Get Sick
Eliminating health disparities is a complex challenge. But not all of it: some solutions are quick and immediate. Ontario denies access to OHIP for new immigrants for three months. This is discriminatory and dangerous to a vulnerable population – and easily fixable. I am supporting the Right to Health Care Coalition’s demand to remove the three month wait for OHIP eligibility. Read the rest of this entry »
By: Bob Gardner
On: Feb. 4, 2011
Policy Solutions for “Wicked” and Complex Social Problems
Social policy can’t just be about addressing the easy issues – there are very few – but has to tackle really deep-seated and complex problems such as poverty, health disparities or homelessness. I just published an article on promising community-driven directions for addressing such fundamental inequalities and the policy frameworks needed to address such “wicked” policy challenges.