New Resources Give Women Opportunities
to Address Their Health Issues

Women in Vancouver and Richmond have a new opportunity to initiate and direct
innovative and accessible solutions to their own health needs.  The latest round of
the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board’s Sharon Martin Community Health Trust Fund will
allocate $125,000 to fund a community-driven health promotion project for women in
Vancouver/Richmond.  In addition, 5 neighbourhood-based projects will be funded up to
$25,000.  These smaller, neighbourhood projects could also focus on the health issues
of women or one of two other focus areas.

Sharon Martin Community Health Trust Fund projects are expected to focus on
population health promotion.  When most people think of addressing health problems,
they usually think of going to see a doctor or another clinical worker.  However,
research findings consistently show that factors outside the health care sector
significantly affect people’s health.  In fact, the mental, physical, social,
spiritual, political and economic aspects of our lives - collectively known as the
Determinants of Health - are some of the powerful indicators of people’s health
status.  Through the Sharon Martin Community Health Trust Fund, the V/RHB is
investing in long term solutions to many of these social issues that affect people’s
health.

Another core aspect of the Fund is the idea that communities best understand their
own health needs and, when given the opportunity and resources, have the ability to
produce positive health outcomes for themselves.  Organizations and individuals are
encouraged to work together to mobilize and develop resources, skills and commitments
needed to address the health issues that they themselves identify as important.  In
addition, the V/RHB’s Women’s Population Health Advisory Committee has consulted with
the community and identified a number of priority health issues.  Communities are
expected to be intimately involved in every facet of the projects, from conception to
execution to evaluation.

This is the third round of the Fund which was previously known as the “Community
Health Initiative Fund.”  Since 1998, the Fund has supported several projects that
focus on women’s health, including the Vancouver Women’s Health Collective’s
“Community Health Advocates Project” - a program that trains advocates in assisting
women to learn about their own health and the health care system - with an annual
grant of $16,800.  The current round, however, is the first time that funding has
been set aside specifically for women’s health.  Anyone interested in receiving Fund
application materials can call the Sharon Martin Community Health Trust Fund office
at 714-3780.  In addition materials can be downloaded from the V/RHB’s Community and
Public Involvement website at www.vcn.bc.ca/vrhb.

A public information session will be held at the Three Bridges Community Health
Centre on Monday, November 6th from 7:00 - 9:00 pm.  The health centre is located at
1292 Hornby St. (at Drake) in Vancouver.

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For more information, please contact:
Dr. Farah Shroff, Health Planning and Policy Analyst, (604) 714-3799
Bryan Kraushaar SMCHTF Project Assistant (604) 714-3780
Linda DuBick Executive Director, Community and Public Involvement (604) 708-5306
Faye White Manager, Community and Public Involvement (604) 714-3752
Mark Chase, Vice President, Planning and Evaluation (604) 708-5323