What are CHCs?

Community Health Centres (CHCs) are non-profit, community-governed organizations that provide primary health care, health promotion and community development services, using multi-disciplinary teams of health providers. These teams (who are paid by salary, rather than through a fee-for-service system) often include: physicians - nurse practitioners - dietitians - health promoters - counsellors Community Health Centres are sponsored and managed by incorporated non-profit community boards made up of members of the community and others who provide health and social services. Services are designed to meet the specific needs of a defined community. In addition, CHCs provide a variety of health promotion and illness prevention services which focus on addressing and raising awareness of the broader determinants of health such as employment, education, environment, isolation and poverty. There are over 300 CHCs across Canada with 55 CHCs in Ontario. In many communities, CHCs provide their programs and services for those people who have difficulties accessing a full range of appropriate primary health-care services.

What do CHCs believe in?

Though every CHC varies somewhat in the services and programs they offer, all CHCs have the same basic beliefs and have made similar commitments. All CHCs are committed to: Providing accessible services: Community Health Centres make special efforts to serve individuals who have a higher risk of ill health or have difficulty gaining access to appropriate health care due to language or cultural barrier, physical disabilities, poverty, isolation, or other special needs. The empowerment of individuals and communities: Community Health Centres encourage clients to take charge of their own health by providing them with accurate, easy to understand information so they can make healthy choices. Community Health Centres are active in community development projects and social action initiatives. Every CHC involves its clients directly in the centre's planning and operations - as program volunteers or as members of various committees. A Board of Directors governs every CHC. The Board of Directors is also comprised of men and women who volunteer their time. Illness prevention and wellness: Community Health Centres promote good health and prevent illness in a variety of ways. In addition to the provision of medical services, and allied health care services (i.e. social work, chiropody, and nutrition services) the Health Promotion Team help clients, both individually and in groups, learn to identify their own health needs and available resources. This results in individuals and communities taking responsibility for their own health needs. Thorough Health Care: Community Health Centres consider the needs of the whole person in their programs and services. They take into account the physical, social, emotional, and financial needs of their clients because all of these aspects of living affect health. Community Health Centres are available to do this through a multi-disciplinary team of professionals. Having staff with a variety of qualifications working closely under one roof helps in coordinating the services needed by clients. The CHC team usually includes nurses, doctors, chiropodists (foot specialists), social workers, dietitians, health promoters, and community development workers. By working together with clients, the team is able to better respond to the needs of the clients. Community Health Centres also take the time to familiarize themselves about other community resources so they can help people find the most appropriate services to meet their needs.

How CHCs are different from Medical Clinics

Community Health Centres are truly community focused All new CHCs can only be established through the direct participation of the local community - who are directly involved in establishing the need for a CHC in a particular area. This usually involves the members of the community and other individuals working together in developing a plan that must show not only the health needs of the community but also the programs and services that can respond to those needs. The close involvement of the community in the activities of the CHC is key to its ability to readily adapt and respond to the community's health needs. The staff of Community Health Centres is on salary including the Doctors Having all CHC staff on salary reinforces the multi-disciplinary team approach to providing health services. All staff, including Doctors, receive a salary as opposed to receiving fees for each individual client seen. Staff of a CHC give the time needed, as appropriate, to their patients/clients. Studies have shown that in addition to clients finding the staff of CHCs warm, caring, and non-judgmental, they particularly appreciate being given enough time to discuss and understand the issue or problem that brought them to the Centre in the first place. The skill and commitment of staff is recognized, and highly valued by clients and patients.