Quebec municipalities take proactive, preventative approach to health care

Initiative empowers people to take charge of their own health

Give a man a fish, says the old adage, and you have fed him for today – but teach a man to fish, and you have fed him for a lifetime.

In the Argenteuil, Que., region, professionals at the Argenteuil Hospital Foundation are putting a different spin on this time-worn wisdom, applying the concept to a new approach to health care.

The foundation’s Opt For Health campaign, an integrated frontline services project, will see various health-care providers collaborating together and with patients to create a culture where medicine is preventative rather than simply responsive. With the help of a $50,000 grant from Enbridge, health care providers in Argenteuil are moving forward with this initiative to empower community members to take charge of their own health at the Argenteuil Health and Social Services Centre.

“What we were finding is that many of the people identified with chronic diseases . . . were using the hospital emergency ward repeatedly. What we are trying to do now is get these people out of the system and put them in control of their disease,” says Marie-Josée Condrain, director of the Argenteuil Hospital Foundation.

Traditionally, an emergency room patient diagnosed with diabetes would be sent home with a prescription and suggestions on how to take care of himself. If that patient fails to heed medical advice and falls back into poor eating or lifestyle habits, he will likely end up sick, and back in the emergency room, says Condrain.

In recent years, more than 300 people visited Argenteuil’s emergency room more than six times per year. “That’s not sustainable for the hospital . . . this is why we say prevention and management are critical,” remarks Condrain.

They are also at the heart of the foundation’s Opt For Health integrated frontline services management strategy, a five-year initiative being carried out through 2017. With this model, a newly diagnosed diabetes patient would automatically receive follow-up care by a nurse, dietician, or other health-care provider.

Enbridge’s contribution will be used to help launch the program, get specialists on board, renovate hospital areas to accommodate services, and communicate the new services to the public.

“It is a privilege that such a large company like Enbridge gets so involved in the communities where they work and live. All donations matter, but major gifts such as this one sometimes make a big difference in a campaign,” notes Gilbert D. Ayers, the Argenteuil Hospital Foundation’s chairman of the board.

Eric Prud’Homme, Enbridge’s senior manager of public affairs in Eastern Canada, first learned of the campaign through an invitation from Argenteuil’s mayor. He saw in the campaign a clear fit with Enbridge’s health and wellness priorities.

“For us, it really is about increasing the quality of life for people who live and work close to our projects and operations,” says Prud’Homme.