PLACE LETTER ON YOUR CHC’s LETTERHEAD
Date, 2016
Name
Member of Parliament – Constituency Name
Street Address
Town Province
Postal Code
RE: Bridging the gap in funding and access to Community Health Centres
Dear [MP Name]:
Recently, the Canadian Association of Community Health Centres (CACHC) shared results from a new study on services and funding for Community Health Centres across Canada. You may access these at
CACHC and many of its provincial counterparts have written to the Government of Canada, Members of Parliament, and provincial governments to share findings from the study and to call on federal, provincial and territorial governments to collaborate on investment in Community Health Centres (CHCs) to meet the needs of Canadians for high-quality, integrated healthcare and social services at a local level. The forthcoming Health Accord, the federal government’s community infrastructure strategy, and other federal and provincial strategies should be harnessed to achieve this.
A critical finding from the 2016 CACHC research is that CHCs overwhelmingly act as local hubs for integrated healthcare and social services. 79% of CHCs across Canada provide direct services and programs in more than five sectors like primary care, mental health services, housing, seniors services, immigration and settlement, and other sectors of activity. This means improved access to public services and a reduced likelihood that individuals and families will fall through cracks as they attempt to navigate our complex health and social service systems. In carrying out this work, CHCs also provide a critical bridge across services that are the mandate of federal, provincial/territorial and municipal governments.
The study by CACHC also reveals some fairly alarming gaps in funding for CHCs across the country. 94% of CHCs across Canada report significant operational pressures affecting their ability to meet demand for care and support by members of the community. 69% of CHCs report the need for capital funding to address repair backlogs and space enhancements. This is all coupled with the fact that the vast majority of Canadians still don’t have access to a CHC in their community.
Our Community Health Centre exemplifies the integrated approach to healthcare and social services described by the CACHC study. In wrapping services and programs around the needs of those we serve, our CHC is improving lives and also helping reduce the burden on other more costly public services like hospital emergency rooms, the justice system, and other emergency services.
However, our ability to carry out this important work is affected by the types of operational pressures highlighted by the CACHC study. We want to share some key details with you as an entry point to figuring out how we can work together to find solutions for our community.
[Describe the operational pressures your CHC faces as well as any outstanding needs for capital funding to address your repair backlog or space shortages. Be sure to identify how funding to ease these operational and/or capital pressures will enable you to better serve your existing clients and increase services for new clients]
[You may also wish to focus on needs that are going unmet because your CHC is not enough to meet needs within your region – example, there is a need to fund new CHCs – or particular population groups that urgently require your services but can’t access due to your funding shortages or space limitations]
The mission that our Community Health Centre carries out has a critical impact in the daily lives of individuals, families and groups within our community. We are improving access to important public services, we are improving health and wellbeing, and we are building social capital and capacity within the community as a whole. Still, many needs in the community go unmet and we are limited in what we alone can do to bridge these gaps. Our CHC can and wants to meet the demands for high-quality health and social services in our community. Funding of an appropriate, core operational budget for our health and healthcare services [you may wish to modify this based on your CHC’s priorities] is an essential prerequisite.
We invite you to visit with us at our centre so that you may see firsthand the types of important services and programs we deliver to members of our community. To assist you and your staff in better understanding our organization and our work, we have also included here for you here [send a copy of recent annual report, needs assessment, other relevant items].
We respectfully request that you present the call for investment in CHCs, like ours, to your colleagues at the federal level and we look forward to providing you further information should you request it.
In advance of welcoming you to our centre and continuing our dialogue, we thank you for your time, consideration and service on behalf of our community.
Sincerely yours,
Board Chair, Executive Director and/or other signing officials
Name of your CHC
Address
Town, City
Website
Contact email / Contact phone #
cc:
Your local MLA(s)/MPP(s)
Your local city councillor(s)
Board of Directors – Canadian Association of Community Health Centres
Scott Wolfe – Executive Director, Canadian Association of Community Health Centres
Board Chair or Executive Director – Your Provincial CHC Association (if one exists)
Enclosures