Western Health is working to increase opportunities to promote healthy living and to get communities and community groups more involved in their own health and wellness. Cara Welsh, Wellness Facilitator for Deer Lake/White Bay North will work with Western Health staff and community groups to support the key directions of the Provincial Wellness Plan to enhance health promotion. Strong links with the other health promotion staff such as regional nutritionists, parent and child health coordinators, reproductive health consultant, cervical screening coordinator, and the regional health educator will be important for the Wellness Facilitator.
Actions to create school environments that support healthy living for children and youth are also being taken. Bill Allan, School Health Promotion Liaison Consultant, is leading the Healthy Students, Healthy Schools Initiative in the Western Region. This initiative was highlighted in the Provincial Wellness Plan for expansion. In addition, advancements have been made in the development of a nutrition policy and a tobacco free environment policy to support safe and healthy school environments in the Western Region.
A focus on wellness and prevention is core to a strong primary health care system. Efforts are being made in the Region, Province, and Country to improve primary health care - basic health care services for everyone. Primary health care emphasizes improved access to the appropriate services when and where you need them. It emphasizes prevention of illness and chronic disease, as well as teams of health care providers working together for improved services. Finally, primary health care encourages information sharing among health care providers and better access to information for clients. Within the Western Region, primary health care initiatives in Bonne Bay and Area, Deer Lake/White Bay, and Port aux Basques are helping to improve these basic health care services for residents.
A number of wellness initiatives have taken place within the communities and individuals access to primary health care has been enhanced with the recent addition of a nurse practitioner in the Deer Lake area. Gary Bradbury is the nurse practitioner. The nurse practitioner works in collaboration with the physicians and other health providers for the Deer Lake/White Bay area to enhance health care services.
A collaborative team approach is necessary for an improved health care system. With a team approach to Primary Health Care, health care professionals have the opportunity to work together to provide support to clients in the community.
For many people, wellness means eating healthy, being active, and staying smoke-free. While these are among the wellness priorities, other factors contribute to health and wellness too. Wellness is a state of well-being that allows you to reach and keep your highest level of health. Wellness includes your mental, emotional, physical, social and spiritual well-being. Achieving overall health and wellness is often a challenge – one that is everyone’s responsibility. Individuals, families, schools, communities, groups, organizations, businesses, and government, all need to work together to take action for wellness. It’s about keeping people well, not just treating people when they become sick.
The Department of Health and Community Services recently introduced Achieving Health and Wellness: Provincial Wellness Plan for Newfoundland and Labrador. The Plan provides direction for promoting health, preventing illness and injury, and increasing the capacity to take action for wellness. The Wellness Plan focuses on: healthy eating, physical activity, tobacco control, injury prevention, mental health promotion, child and youth development, environmental health, and health protection.
Phase I of the Provincial Wellness Plan (2006-2008) will focus on: Healthy Eating, Physical Activity, Tobacco Control and Injury Prevention.
The Wellness Plan supports the work of the many staff and volunteers from groups and organizations within the Region and Province-wide. Staff of Western Health in partnership with volunteers from a variety of groups and organizations, are working to address the many factors that impact our overall health and wellness. Some regional groups have also been established to focus on wellness. These include: Tobacco Free Network,
Western Injury Prevention Coalition, and the Western Regional Wellness Coalition. These groups work to strengthen partnerships that support actions for wellness.
Some current wellness programs or activities include: Heart Smart Restaurant Program, Moving for Health, Ticker Tom, Youth and Adult Stop Smoking Programs, Steady As You Go Falls Prevention Programs, and Car Seat Clinics.
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For more information contact:
Heidi Staeben-Simmons, Director of Communications,
Western Health 709-637-5252