The Template: Designing the ultimate Health and Wellness Centre
One stop shopping for the patient/client/consumer.
Look at Models…all around the world, inclusive of the Spa/Resorts of California, Arizona etc …i.e. Canyon Ranch.
Build on the Principle of Primary Health Care, Community Development and the Charters (Ottawa Charter of Health Promotion)…the Charter of Rights and Freedoms for Canadians.
Health Council of Canada supports this…there are models developing that support this is a reasonable thing to do.
Sault Ste. Marie….refers to the Ottawa Charter
Build on some of the innovations already in place…expand on other issues.
Platform that this is a social justice issue.
Tax-payers want choice…they want “preferred Providers” the idea that paternalistic notions of the past should be maintained, should be dismissed once and for all.
Citizens deserve a system that is all about them…”client-centred Care”…perhaps they do not even want to be considered or “made a patient”.
When we release from labels we can be free from the stigma…why does a person need a label, such as “Mental Health Patient”…in order to get the help they need.
Why can’t a nurse help someone, without first having another health care professional label, diagnose or prescribe.
Why do we not have nurses who can prescribe exercise, safe and effective weight management…or other natural (drug-free means of lower blood-pressure and cholesterol)
Why could there not be a centre to go to that focuses on wellness, health promotion and illness and injury prevention.
Why can there not be payment to other providers that want to provide valuable…disease preventing services and receive funding in the same ways that other providers have for years.
If there is a need, why can’t a nurse hang out a shingle and bill OHIP.
Political Power Brokerage in the hands of powerful lobbying groups inclusive of Health Care professionals, that is why. We have many social justice issues un-addressed in this province and it is time that the power be returned to the public.
The Wellness CARE centre model.
Largely supported by volunteerism and “co-oping” from High Schools, Colleges and University. A “Health Sciences” Stream be introduced to high schools…promote the “health care professional” streams…and educate all to speak the same language and take the same courses.
These volunteers, learn some skills, but also set up and manage telehealth systems.
Triaging is from volunteer to RPN to RN to NP then MD consult.
All professionals attached to the Centre are “share-holders” after one year of service and can buy shares that are available to a ceiling percentage.
This provides incentive to make it a successful venture.
This will provide for more “promising “options for those that may not otherwise want to continue in health care.
McGuinty’s recent initiative to open up schools…”after hours” is timely. It is time for the community to take charge of their school. There can be many more things done at the school if support staff (custodial) are paid to keep the doors open from 5 am till midnight. The 5 am period for the potential of exercise programs before work hours for some in the community to “pre-school” in a differing sense…before school programs for those parents who have children …who are school-aged and they themselves need to be at work ,by say 7 am (like nurses and other health care workers (not every one is “nine- to- five”.
These early hour drop-off children could be fed a healthy breakfast and have a one hour “learn about healthy living”…a focus on dental care and other hygiene issues.
Each student that helps out from that school would be credited with community service hours that add up to some sort of reward…points toward a field trip, sport camp or summer camp opportunity.
High School student programs- This could be an enhancement and educational opportunity to build onto the existing 40 community hours requirement. There could also be co-op hours for the older grades that could count toward sciences credit if biological, psychological and sociological credits could be built in. This could be an attractive “pre-requisite” program for the Health Sciences which could include Medicine, Nursing, Kinesiology/PT/OT, dietician and or social worker/psychologist.
The partnership could extent to Community College for PSW program, RPN and Collaborative BScN programs.
There could be clinical and co-op hour opportunities for those student placement at the Wellness Centre. It is also reasonable that some opportunities exist for those students of Education Careers…and Community workers as well as Social Workers.
Each individual/family would be assigned a Wellness CARE TEAM. One that has a built in triage system. A support/advocacy volunteer/student could do their best to prioritize the needs, and make referral starting with the APN to do a Health Screening and Education Need profile, while an RPN would be assigned as “case-manager”.
At the discretion of the CARE TEAM, there may be referrals to Chiropractic, Osteopathic, Naturopathic as well as to Physicians