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The Community Health Centre solution for Markham/Richmond Hill The request The Social Services Network, a not-for-profit agency based in Markham, is requesting that early in its next mandate, the provincial government allocate capital and operating dollars to create a new Community Health Centre (CHC) to serve Markham/Richmond Hill. The catchment area for the proposed CHC falls within the Central LHIN and would be defined by 19th Avenue to the north, Steeles Avenue to the south, York-Durham County Line to the east and Yonge Street to the west. The majority of the target population lives between Steeles Avenue (south) and 16th Avenue (north), and Markham Road (east) and Yonge (west). (See map) There is no other CHC in the area. The nearest CHCs are Vaughan Community Health Centre, between 15 and 30 kilometers to the west, and the Flemingdon Health Centre nearly 30 kilometres to the south. Together they serve just 9 per cent of the population living in Markham/Richmond Hill.
The need People living in Markham/Richmond Hill are urgently in need of access to a CHC. By delivering culturally appropriate primary health care services, in combination with a wide range of health promotion and community development programs, the Community Health Centre model is uniquely positioned to address many of the region’s most pressing needs.
The Central LHIN Health Service Needs Assessment and Gap Analysis conducted by KPMG identifies this planning area as having its highest growth between now and 2018. Nearly 62 per cent of the population are from racialized groups. Although the South Asian community experienced a 70 per cent growth rate between 2001 and 2006, there are extremely limited health services delivered in a culturally appropriate way. The region is underserviced in terms of primary care, especially care that is culturally appropriate for the more than 50 per cent of the population who speak a language other than English as their mother tongue. Seniors face severe difficulties accessing services, especially wellness and prevention programs. Nearly 19 per cent of the population is low-income, putting them at greater risk of poor health. By 2018, an 80 per cent rise in diabetes and a 75 per cent increase in heart disease is forecast. Pressure on emergency departments and hospitals are likely to increase unless the population receives culturally appropriate care that addresses the social determinants of health.
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The sponsoring agency The agency leading the call for a new Community Health Centre to serve Markham-Richmond Hill is ideally placed to guide its early development and get the new centre up an running both quickly and effectively. Social Services Network (SSN) is a not-for-profit charitable organization that has been delivering culturally and linguistically appropriate services to the region’s multicultural and diverse communities since 2004. It benefits strategic ties with other community-based agencies, and extensive service delivery experience. Over the last five years the organization has built relationships with strategic mainstream service providers such as academic institutes, community centres, the Town of Markham, faith centres and social services to develop best practices for program delivery in the area of health, settlement, mental health and wellbeing. SSN has also successfully implemented 26 projects in collaboration with 31 community partners, involved 4,000 seniors in various programs and engaged 50,000 community members through various programs for families, seniors and youth. A detailed proposal will soon be submitted to the Central LHIN. Key elements will involve the development of an integrated health and social services hub, anchored by a Community Health Centre. The Community Health Hub will bring together under one roof the services provided by child and mental health agencies, family service agencies, geriatric support, settlement, Public Health, education and other community partners to serve several functions in the area:
To integrate many services into a single multi-service hub; To meet a burgeoning and unmet need for local primary health care services; To provide a hub for healthy community initiatives; To serve as a base of operations for several educational and community organizations; and To be a demonstration site for communities and heath care providers searching for creative ways to sustain viable health care operations and enhance community well-being.
Support for the request SSN’s request for a Community Health Centre has the strong and active support of the Association of Ontario Health Centres which represents the provinces 73 Community Health Centres. In addition a wide range of stakeholders and partners have voiced their support including the The Town of Markham and The Town of Richmond Hill. To learn more about Ontario’s Community Health Centres visit www.ontariochc.ca
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