Special initiatives to improve services and access in French

• The BC Health Guide in French : RésoSanté has joined forces with the provincial Ministry of Health to create components in French for the BC Health Guide Program. In addition, it has undertaken to promote and distribute the manual Health Guide to more than 13,000 francophone households.
• “Setting the Stage in British Columbia”: A provincial initiative for consultation and planning to make recommendations to the decision-making bodies in the health care system for improved health services in French. These recommendations were based on consultations with the francophone population, the non-profit sector, health professionals and managers and a provincial forum.
• “A health information needs assessment and dissemination project for the Vancouver Island French-speaking populations”: A regional project to promote good health that identifies needs and potential collaborations and has brought the Vancouver Island Health Authority and the francophone associations and schools on the island into closer contact.
• Caring for Patients in French : Linguistic training activities on medical terms in French developed in collaboration with Éducacentre College, designed for health care professionals with an intermediate or advanced level in French. This training includes 13 modules, organized around topics such as patient assessment, pain, disease prevention, nutrition, cultural adaptation, etc.
• Let’s Talk Mental Health. Two new mental health services in French were generated through the collaboration of RésoSanté with the BC Schizophrenia Society and the La Boussole community centre. Through the online support service, people close to an individual with a mental illness can get answers to their questions from a health professional and can participate in a support network for family members. As an additional service, a biweekly newsletter provides information in French for providing support to an individual with a mental illness. Information on registering for these services is found on the website www.reachingfamiliesproject.org/francais
• Training activities in cultural skills for health professionals developed in collaboration with the Provincial Language Service  of the Provincial Health Services Authority
• In collaboration with RésoSanté, La Boussole, organises medical visits for its clients, including a monthly assessment of their state of health by a registered nurse, and accompaniment to a medical clinic if required

Other initiatives are underway. This list will be updated as needed. For more information concerning the initiatives mentioned here or other projects spearheaded by RésoSanté, get in touch with our office.