When I first started my role at the Canadian Association of Community Health Centres (CACHC) four years ago, I had next to no knowledge of what a Community Health Centre was. Having grown up in an area that did not have many of them, I was slowly grasping an understanding as I moved to Ontario and saw some of the work they were doing. As a Communications expert and podcast developer with lived experience in addictions, as an intimate partner violence survivor and having grown up in poverty, I knew CACHC would be a great fit, but I didn’t expect to become part of a national movement for better healthcare through developing a podcast that taught me the importance of CHCs in every episode. 

Community Matters was built to amplify, support and advocate for CHCs in an equitable way. As our membership at CACHC has grown over my 4 years with the company it has always been important to equitably show the work of the CHCs across the country, their different communities, their innovations but also the common thread of a continuous need for investment, support and advocacy.

Adapting to meet needs in Calgary during COVID-19 | Community Matters Ep. 1

The first episodes of Community Matters were filmed during the COVID–19 pandemic, an admittedly difficult time for everyone. Staff were overworked, run off their feet, but still found time to share with me the work they were doing to help communities stay safe in unprecedented times. Speaking to The Alex CHC, Black Creek CHC, Somerset West, Klinic CHC, Nine Circles CHC and Women’s Health Centre we learned about a variety of tools being used around vaccine uptake, digital inequities highlighted during COVID-19 and collaborative clinics.  

The podcast has also supported various projects CACHC has held. As the pandemic continued, but vaccine uptake remained crucial, CACHC spearheaded a Community Vaccination Promotion (CVP) National project. The CVP-National Project is dedicated to improving COVID-19 vaccine uptake among equity-deserving populations across Canada. Originally funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) from 2021 to 2023, the project worked in partnership with CHCs and provincial CHC associations to build vaccine confidence, address misinformation, and overcome access barriers among equity-deserving populations across Canada. During its initial phases, the project supported localized vaccine promotion efforts and shared best practices across the country. Through this project many CHCs were funded to increase vaccine uptake and nine podcast episodes were created to show the work being done with our funding from coast to coast.  

Similarly, with support from TD Bank Group (TD) through the TD Ready Commitment, CACHC received funding for a Systems Navigation Access and Partnership (SNAP) Project, where funding was dispersed to 32 CHCs to aid in systems navigation for their clients. This funding supports initiatives aimed at helping CHCs adopt, adapt, scale up, and improve systems navigation efforts to improve client outcomes and grow the CHC knowledge and practice base across Canada. The SNAP project also aimed to help improve overall healthcare access for equity-deserving populations in Canada and overcome barriers to accessing services and continuity of care. 17601 people were reached through the project, 11116 clients reached. This resulted in 12 podcast episodes showcasing national wide work to aid in simplifying the navigation process of health systems. This work aided in sexual health education, support and access for women, girls and gender diverse people who needed support at clinics, 2SLGBTQ+ programs, program development for pregnant families needing guidance, building networks within systems for referrals and patient attachments, access for rural communities to health care and even helping precariously housed clients retain ID cards and documents so they can better access appointments. Several projects that were shared in the podcast have gone on to become permanent solutions to the issues that can sometimes arise within systems navigation and led to the hiring of core staff. 

Community Health Centre Collaboration on Rethinking Community Safety | Community Matters Ep. 14

Outside of projects, Community Matters has also touched on important issues impacting the clients of CHCs. These episodes have included discussing the opioid epidemic, HIV/AIDS, sexual violence prevention, abortion care, pregnancy loss therapies and supports, wildfire precautions, social prescribing work, senior isolation, hepatitis and police abolishment. We have also highlighted specific communities such as the 2SLGBTQ+ community, Black and Indigenous communities, rural communities and French communities with several interviews fully in French! We will continue to seek opportunities to highlight the particular issues these communities face and how our CHCs support them in their daily work.  

De près avec le Centre Francophone du Grand Toronto | Community Matters Ep. 7

Across these 50 episodes, I’ve learned just how much support CHCs can and do offer. From housing support, to food, shelter, being on the frontlines in times of crisis, trauma supports, therapy, programs for people of all ages, CHCs are there and CHCs work. In the episode on the Opioid Epidemic featuring South Riverdale CHC, a staff member said that sometimes the clients they see simply need a hug. In today’s global climate, I agree that the hug and wrap around support of CHCs are paramount.  

I do strongly believe that the CHC model of care would lead to a healthier community for Canada. The holistic support of CHCs allows clients to feel seen, to not fall through the cracks of healthcare. CHCs take the burden off of hospitals and lessen emergency room visits, saving taxpayer dollars. They are rooted in and have built a community. Since starting my role at CACHC, I have even gone to CHCs myself for therapy and support not provided elsewhere.  

Savlus Clinic – Providing Care in Moncton, NB | Community Matters Ep. 50

I look forward to continuing the conversation with CHCs, our members, partners, and allies. I hope these conversations inspire, innovate, call for advocacy and increased investment in a model we all believe will help our country and community prosper. I can’t wait to see what I will learn in the next 50 episodes.