Dear Friends,

I could not let Christopher Wood's request from Calgary about Canadian CHCs
go unanswered without providing information about the Australian scene from
which he may draw material.  The web site for the Australian Community
Health Association is:
http://www.hcn.net.au/acha/welcome.htm

The ACHA was heavily supported by our previous federal government but were
not by the present government.  There has been a decline in the support and
direction of this association and small states like my own have gone into
temporary abeyance.  The association was commonly joined by health
professionals who worked in CHCs in Australia - of which there are several
hundred.  One of its remarkable achievements over the years however was the
introduction of a development and accreditation tool for these centres which
reflected the values and principles of primary health care and community
health. Previously called the Community Health Accreditation and Standards
Program (CHASP) it now operated through the Quality Improvement Council as
the Australian Health and Community Services Standards.  This program is
actively supported by the Tasmanian Government for services within the
department in which I work.  Indeed in a few days I will be the Review
Coordinator for the Devonport Community and Health Services Centre review.
This first stage review encourages the staff and centre to take a quality
improvement pathway for their services and to build awareness of what this
means. Community based organisations who work from such centres are
encouraged to participate as well.  There is a strong emphasis on community
participation in the life and decisions of theses centres.

But why is all this so important?  Simply because if the social determinants
of health are to be operationalised as an active program of support by
government services then these centres need all the support they can get.

Regards

Alan

Alan Sutherland
Health Promotion Policy Officer
Health and Wellbeing Outcomes Unit
Department of Health and Human Services
PO Box 125B, Hobart
TASMANIA
AUSTRALIA       7000

Phone: (03) 6233 3147
FAX:     (03) 6233 2899
E-mail:  [log in to unmask]

Australian International Dialling:
011 + 61 + 3 + (eight digit call number)