Member of the Month
Community First Health Co-Op, Nelson, BC
Website: www.healthco-op.com
Submitted by Debby Zeeben
Chair for Community First Health Co-op
Building Solutions with Community for Wellness
Community First Health Co-op is celebrating its 20th year of community service work for wellness. The journey is, “How can we work together to achieve better health in our community?” Multi-sectoral wellness projects can have the greatest impact.
Community knows that Wellness is a Mind, Body, and Soul journey. Through the shared values of co-operation, connectedness, compassion, education, inclusion, and kindness, Community First Health Co-op builds relationships to serve wellness. Living the World Health Organization’ Social Determinants for Good Health has provided unlimited possibilities and adventures to create more opportunities for wellness for all in our community. Social connection to others and community is a key determinant for good health. The Social Determinant’s of Health recognizes that health services alone can only account for 25% of our wellness, 75% is attributed to the other determinants- community has much to contribute to the quest for the wellness of all in our communities.
Our health centre, purchased with support from Nelson and District Credit Union’s community investment program, is home to many services and supports for wellness. Over 50 practitioners, several volunteer boards of partners and 17 volunteer community organizations work together to respond to emerging community wellness issues through support, education and services at the Wellness Centre and across Central Kootenay and Kootenay Boundary Regional Districts without additional financial burden on the participants.
The collaboration between volunteers, practitioners of the centre and community offers support groups, education and resources for chronic conditions including: outreach programs, services, and educational sessions including multidisciplinary self-management chronic pain programs, drug awareness, addictions treatment and support, counselling, street outreach, breast cancer survivors, Alzheimer’s’ and their Caregivers, prenatal care, new mom and babe care, breastfeeding support, postpartum support, services for hearing loss, nutrition, care giver support and hospice. Accessibility, prevention and health promotion activity, client and family-centeredness and chronic disease management contribute to community enthusiasm and satisfaction. Success is continuing to grow the number of people engaged in wellness.
Our tracking indicates that there are 70,000 + visits to the centre annually. While we were able to stay open during the pandemic, virtual visits and programming enabled clients to stay connected.
Members of the CFHC board of volunteers, established a network of volunteers across the regional districts of Central and Kootenay Boundary to operate a not for profit, low-cost dental program to serve regional residents of three months or more with an annual adjusted income of $42,000 or less, access quality dental care to break the cycle of ER visits and more importantly- fix the toothache /sore mouth to stop the use of pain medication. The clinic currently has more than 1500 clients.
In 2018 Community First Health Co-op received $ 110,000 in transitional funding from the current government, to be available over three years as part of their commitment to invest in Community Health Centres. In the first 6 months of funding, the Regional Perinatal Mental Health and Breastfeeding Support Program created through a network of volunteers and health practitioners, saw 153 families supported to improve breastfeeding rates and support the transition to parenting with 10 mental health visits, 46 breastfeeding support groups adding best outcome health benefits to mother and child including improved moods, maintenance of healthy weight, increased immunological response (Only 51% of children in our population have up to date immunization at 2 years of age – Interior Health 2018 Community Profile) decreased allergies and rates of obesity (a current health issue in our population) and increased attachment of the dyads-reducing mental health issues in the future. This program is an upstream investment in early detection through screening and community connection while building ongoing community-based supports for wellness and mental health. This program is at the heart of supporting a healthy community for the future.
Community First Health Co-op Health promotion is ongoing. With the consensus of community experiences, volunteers and practitioners support for mental wellbeing and physical activity is high on the community priority list. Activity is a positive for managing chronic conditions which increases as we age, and managing stress and anxiety.
Over 1.5 million minutes of activity were gathered through over 500 events and activities and the 1000 sponsored give away pedometers enthusiastically taken by residents excited to join the “Every Step Counts” movement grew the conversations promoting community connections and inclusion. The centre is a community collaborative for quality of life and wellness programs to be created.
The Nelson and Area Wellness and Education Centre is a local economic engine in our rural community with an annual operating budget of $200,000 plus, contributing to: city taxes, water and sewer infrastructure, city Solar Garden Project, providing employment opportunities for Mentally Challenged through WK Supported Employment, HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, elevator maintenance, general maintenance, snow shoveling and plowing with removal, cleaning, accounting, banking, Fire Safety and insurance. Since Community First Health Co-op purchased the building in 2006, approximately $ 2.4 Million has been reinvested in the community. Additionally, over $1.5 Million has been invested by the partners in this community endeavor, to repurpose an abandoned government building, “the old forestry building,” using local contractors and local materials bought through local businesses. Renovations and adaptations are ongoing to meet the needs identified by the community.
Community continually creates new working relationships, partnerships and programs to support their quest for Wellness in its vibrant, rural community. The whole of community work is far greater than the sum of its parts.
For more information contact:
Debby Zeeben Chair for Community First Health Co-op
518 Lake Street
Nelson, B.C. V1L 4C6
E-mail: cfhcoop@shaw.ca
Website: www.healthco-op.com
