Annual Report 2014: Programs of Interest
Strategic Plan video
Professional Practice and Development
In January of 2014, the Health Unit released its 2013–2017 Strategic Plan video. The high-definition, 90-second piece showcases how the Health Unit is actively pursuing and implementing our five Strategic Priorities.
Strategic Priorities
Professional Practice and Development
Each of the following programs have been linked to their most appropriate Strategic Priority.
- Champion and lead equitable opportunities for health.
- Strengthen relationships.
- Strengthen evidence-informed public health practice.
- Support community actions promoting health equity.
- Foster organization-wide excellence in leadership and innovation.
Safe and sanitary
Health Hazard Investigation
Strategic Priority #1
Tattoo parlours, nail salons, and public pools fall under the umbrella of the Health Unit’s inspection portfolio. Preventing institutional outbreaks, keeping the public safe from harm, and ensuring all providers and premises are held to the same high public health standards ensures clean, sanitary, and safe places for serving the public.
Planning Cycle
Population Health Assessment and Surveillance
Strategic Priority #3
The Sudbury & District Health Unit’s Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS) Evidence-Informed Planning Cycle helps guide the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of our work in public health. The cycle encourages the use of evidence—including evidence on community need and evidence from research—to drive public health programming. Consistent planning ensures that the Health Unit delivers high-quality, evidence-informed programs to our community.
Breastfeeding Challenge
Family Health
Strategic Priority #4
In October, nearly four dozen new mothers breastfed their babies in the New Sudbury Centre mall as part of this year’s Breastfeeding Challenge. Through this challenge, the Family Health Team works to raise awareness and normalize the concept of breastfeeding. It is natural and beneficial to both mother and baby.
Vector-borne disease surveillance and insect bite prevention
Vector-Borne Diseases/West Nile Virus
Strategic Priority #3
Ticks and mosquitoes play a part in spreading potentially life-threatening vector-borne diseases. Lyme disease, West Nile virus, and Eastern equine encephalitis threats and potential cases are monitored through the Health Unit’s surveillance program. This program also offers prevention, awareness, and seasonal media to keep residents safe when enjoying the outdoors.
School Triple P pilot project
Family Health
Strategic Priority #1
The Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) helps parents solve problems in the day-to-day business of raising children. In 2014, the Family Health Team launched a new pilot project in schools that looks at two critical child developmental periods: transition to primary school and transition from primary to secondary school. The goal of this project is to provide practical tools to equip parents and school staff with strategies to increase positive outcomes and build strong, healthy relationships.
HBHC evaluation results
Healthy Babies Healthy Children and Nurse on Call
Strategic Priority #4
The Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) program is designed to help children have a healthy start in life and provide them with every opportunity to reach their true potential. Health Unit staff contact every consenting mother to provide support and identify families who may require added or ongoing assistance caring for their newborn. In 2014, the Ministry of Children and Youth Services evaluated the program, revealing unique challenges faced by some young families, such as smoking rates, drug and alcohol use, and access to local health care providers. Thanks to hard-working staff offering support to parents in the community, this program enjoys ongoing success.
Panorama implementation
Control of Infectious Diseases, Immunization and TB Control
Strategic Priority #5
Compiling, sorting, and incorporating just about every detail of communicable disease investigations, cases, contacts, and outbreak information into one database is an enormous task. In 2014, Panorama provided the tools critical in managing public health cases and outbreaks. Panorama reduces the risk of infection in populations through early detection, notification, rapid verification, and appropriate response to emerging disease threats.
Children’s Water Festival
Safe Water (Recreational, Small Drinking Water Systems)
Strategic Priority #4
In 2014, the Sudbury Children’s Water Festival celebrated its 10th Anniversary and received a certificate of recognition from the Mayor. The Festival was held in Sudbury and Chapleau. Almost 900 children attended, 100 high school student volunteers participated, and 16 community partners assisted the Health Unit to disseminate messages about water protection, conservation, science, and safety.
Answering the call!
Health Hazard Investigation
Strategic Priority #1
The Environmental Health Team investigated 467 health hazard complaints covering the full spectrum of topics including bedbugs, mould, sewage, and hoarding. There were also 4083 calls and office visits to the duty officer, and the after-hours public health inspector took calls from 763 clients.
Lacloche Foothills Food Network
Nutrition
Strategic Priority #4
Access to affordable and healthy foods is not always easy when you live in a smaller community. Since 2010, the LaCloche Foothills Food Network, a group consisting of more than a dozen community and not-for-profit organizations including the SDHU, has worked to increase interest and activity in community food programming. In just four short years, the network has supported a number of initiatives including community gardening, community kitchens, a local producer pamphlet, and a local Farmers’ Market.
Measles response efforts
Control of Infectious Diseases, Immunization and TB Control
Strategic Priority #2
On April 26, 2014, for the first time in 15 years, a case of measles arrived in Sudbury. The SDHU’s Infection Control Team, community partners, and Health Sciences North assembled quickly and took on the task of assessing the situation, setting up vaccination clinics, alerting the media, and encouraging people to protect vulnerable populations from the measles by getting vaccinated.
Play Greater Sudbury initiative
Physical Activity
Strategic Priority #2
The Greater Sudbury Physical Activity and Recreation Roundtable wants everyone to get out and be active. This group of public health, recreation, health care, education, not-for-profit, and social service organizations launched the Play Greater Sudbury video and website campaign in November 2014. The ongoing initiative promotes affordable and accessible recreation throughout Greater Sudbury and encourages individuals to explore their surroundings and discover new ways to play.
CGS Drug Strategy
Substance Misuse Prevention
Strategic Priority #2
The Greater Sudbury Police Service and the SDHU, in collaboration with community partners, have developed the Community Drug Strategy for the City of Greater Sudbury. The strategy has five foundational principles: Health Promotion and Prevention of Drug Misuse, Treatment, Harm Reduction, Enforcement and Sustaining Relationships. These foundations emphasize the need to work together as a community to reduce drug use and create a society increasingly free of harms associated with substance misuse.
Falls prevention
Physical Activity
Strategic Priority #2
The Health Unit is working with community partners to encourage older adults to “Stay Active, Stay Independent, and Stay on Your Feet”. Supported by the Northeastern Local Health Integration Network
(NE LHIN), the Stay On Your Feet Sudbury Manitoulin Falls Prevention Coalition is comprised of over 70 members and provides resources and education on how to reduce the risk of a fall. Falling is not a normal part of aging and most falls are predictable and preventable. This year, the Health Unit joined the other four northeastern health units and regional partners to form a regional falls prevention coalition, led by the NE LHIN.
Post-secondary alcohol survey
Substance Misuse Prevention
Strategic Priority #3
In 2014, we partnered with Laurentian University, Collège Boréal, and Cambrian College to develop a survey that looked at trends in alcohol use, awareness about Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines, and prevention strategies for post-secondary students. The survey of 1829 students revealed valuable insight into consumption, awareness, and delivery of messaging to this very important part of the population. The partners are working towards an effective strategy to create campuses where drinking responsibly is a social norm, where policies are in place to reduce alcohol-related risks, and where students engaging in healthy behaviours are supported.
Social Media Challenge
Communications
Strategic Priority #5
In the ongoing effort to convince parents to vaccinate their kids and keep communities safe, the Health Unit produced a video, and it went viral. The locally produced video spread from Sudbury to as far away as Saudi Arabia. It was also nationally recognized out of 36 entrants from across the country by winning second place in Canada Health Infoway’s Public Health Social Media Challenge.
Food recalls
Food Safety
Strategic Priority #1
Access to food and products originating from halfway around the world creates a coast-to-coast issue when dealing with food recalls. In Sudbury, aside from directly contacting the retailers and the food premises serving high-risk populations, the Health Unit uses social media and the Internet to make sure as many people are informed as possible. Last year, 1758 contacts to local food premises were made during 18 food recalls.
This item was last modified on June 17, 2015