The Stigma Free Society has been an engaged member of the BC Rural Health Network and recently posted the following article about our organization on their website. We truly appreciate the work of the Stigma Free Society and their awesome resources for mental health. Please visit them and click the link at the bottom of this page to read their full article on the BC Rural Health Network. Here is an excerpt:
Rural communities face specific challenges when it comes to accessing healthcare. Things like stigma, healthcare costs, lack of mental health services, lack of public transportation options, long waitlists and distance from healthcare practitioners can be significant barriers to resources for people living in rural areas. While living in rural communities can definitely have its benefits, like tight-knit communities and serene nature, these challenges can negatively affect the health and wellbeing of rural residents. In order to ensure equitable access to healthcare resources, action needs to be taken to alleviate barriers to care-seeking for rural residents.
The British Columbia Rural Health Network (BCRHN) is a collective of organizations seeking to alleviate these barriers by working with policymakers to advocate for a healthcare system that equitably supports the health and well-being of rural residents across British Columbia. By working with the government to improve access to care and providing a platform to easily access available resources and information, BCRHN is offering advocacy and empowerment to the rural residents of BC. Stigma-Free Society is proud to be a partner of BCRHN, and supports their mission of improving health outcomes for rural residents and increasing access to healthcare information and resources.
BCRHN’s collective of individuals, teams and organizations work hard to identify healthcare concerns and gaps that are unique to rural communities in BC. Rural communities are not just smaller-scale urban cities. They differ economically, socially and in city planning, which creates a unique set of needs and circumstances when it comes to accessing healthcare. These needs often go unacknowledged, but the research and advocacy groups at BCRHN are working to change that. They listen to the concerns of rural residents and communicate them directly to policymakers so that their voices are heard. They also research strategies that have been successful so that they can provide policy-makers with evidence-based, tangible solutions to the challenges and barriers faced by rural communities. Through research and advocacy, BCRHN work directly with the BC Ministry of Health to identify and mitigate the unique challenges and barriers faced by healthcare-seekers of rural BC.
Rural residents face a variety of barriers that can prevent or delay care, which can have significant consequences on their overall health. The cost of seeking healthcare is often a large burden, as well as the lack of public transportation to larger cities. This can be especially challenging if residents need to access healthcare providers or specialists that are outside of their primary care networks. BCRHN is advocating for policy changes that would provide all rural residents with connections to a healthcare practitioner and improve overall access to healthcare and mental health resources. They are promoting healthcare reform to create systems that are community-based and center the needs of patients. (These are just a few of their goals – you can read more about their objectives here.
In addition to making healthcare more accessible through research, advocacy and policy change, BCRHN is also empowering rural residents by providing a portal of resources, information and news updates about healthcare in BC. Their user-friendly website and community resources page are a hub of information that visitors can browse.
You can read the full article here, please support Stigma Free!
