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)