Message From the CEO
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As summer 2020 ends, I cannot help but reflect on the many challenges this year has presented. Top of mind is the COVID- 19 Pandemic and how it affected us all. As we see our city, our province and our Country cautiously re-opening I am pleased to say that we too at SCHC continue to implement more and more in-person services to fill the gaps that the pandemic created. Of course, we do this with the utmost care for the safety of our staff, clients and volunteers and guide our actions by the recommendations of public health and levels of government. As we welcome our staff and clients back to our locations, we also look for opportunities to continue with some of the virtual programming that has been so successful during the past several months. I must do a shout out to the wonderful SCHC family of staff that ensured we remained connected with our community, finding new and innovative ways to deliver services and check in on our vulnerable population. Our staff truly live our ICARE values! For current updates on our programs and services, please visit us at www.schcontario.ca.www.schcontario.ca
I must also reflect on the impact of the events highlighting Black Lives Matters. The tragedies that we witnessed as a society have also touched us at SCHC. Trust that we are committed to holding each other accountable and challenging ourselves to demonstrate growth and leadership in this area across the organization. Therefore, SCHC is engaging in training to ensure we have an equitable and inclusive SCHC for staff, clients and the greater community. One of the goals of this training is to create a space for reflection and accountability. We will examine Anti-Black Racism and its impact on health through the twelve determinants of health; learn about advocacy and ally ship and how to address Anti-Black Racism in every aspect of the work we do. Finally, in an exciting step forward, the group of more than 40 Scarborough health service provider partners is now being invited to move on to the next phase of the readiness assessment process and complete a full application to become the Scarborough Ontario Health Team (OHT). The application will be submitted to the Ministry of Health on September 18, 2020. OHTs are part of the Ontario government’s plan to improve access to quality health care and provide a better patient experience. Health care providers (including hospitals, doctors, and home and community care providers) work as one coordinated team, no matter where they provide care, making it easier for people to navigate the health system and transition between providers. Scarborough’s health care partners have collaborated in many new and creative ways throughout COVID-19. The lessons we have learned from the pandemic will be put to good use as we move forward together. Thank you for your continued patience and support as we navigate these new times together. All of us at SCHC look forward to connecting more and more with our community in person. Thank you, Jeanie Joaquin |
