Connect with community

We are all connected. A health care system can be imagined as an ecosystem with patients, families, providers, and organizations co-existing and working together to create conditions that are beneficial for all. The integrated high-performing Health Ecosystem is constantly evolving to reflect changing environmental conditions, demographics, emerging technology, and cultural norms.

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Act as neighbours

Abundant Community Edmonton offers some inspiration on 'Get Neighbouring' to foster neighbour-to-neighbour relationships. The goal is to cultivate a culture of care and connection, increase the sense of belonging and inclusion, and ultimately create a more healthy and livable community. Shelley, a mental health nurse in primary care, supported people from all socioeconomic backgrounds through the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. We really are all in this together when it comes to creating healthy communities.

​[Shelley's video trailer]

Know your community partners

"If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together." - African Proverb

"That means know your community partners, you know those people you can collaborate with and can help your patient. Gone are the days when we think of the primary care as just a clinic. Primary care is a local clinic working together within home care, EMS, community paramedics, RCMP, addictions and mental health, social services, victim services, employment services and all those community agents. A survey amongst hospital staff in Whitecourt asked how many of the services they know that they can navigate patients to. Only about four to six percent knew community services they currently can navigate patients to." - Dr. Ojedokun, Primary Care Physician

LACEY'S STORY

"No one reaches their goals alone" 

Multi-sectoral collaborative community team 

Primary care and community teams were amazed to discover new perspectives, supports, and a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities when they came together. Collaboration within the community provided relevance and sustainability to the solution-finding process.

1. Reducing the Impact of Financial Strain Panel. ChangeMaker Series: Primary Care and Community Teams Reducing the Impact on Health from Financial Strain. AHS. https://youtu.be/fr2mwI4h0cI.