Press Release : Société Santé en Français 2018-2023 program launch
Published on September 24, 2018
Healthbound 18-23 - Toward Access continues the work that has been underway across Canada over a number of years. A number of systemic structuring and rallying initiatives were successfully implemented in Newfoundland and Labrador thanks to the financial support received from Health Canada. Those initiatives stemmed from major nation-wide projects involving SSF, the territorial, provincial and regional French Language Health Networks of Canada, and their partners: policy makers, health managers, health practitioners, academic institutions, and communities.
This collaborative approach is central to the new plan, which has five targeted goals:
- Accessible, adapted and actively offered French-language health services and programs in Canada.
- Mobilized, equipped and valued human resources offering French-language health services.
- Health establishments, programs, and policies demonstrate the capacity to offer quality and safe French-language health services in accordance with language of service standards.
- Systematic collection of the language variable by provinces and territories, thereby providing access to evidence-based planning and decision-making.
- Francophone and Acadian minority communities become engaged and equipped to take charge of their health and well-being in French.
The Réseau develops solutions adapted to the needs and realities of the communities of Newfoundland and Labrador. The next five years will demonstrate more clearly than ever the results of transformations in health care systems and policies leading to better access to quality French-language services.
“I am delighted that the Réseau santé en français is implementing various projects such as the Health Passport and the Directory of French-Speaking Health Professionals, both of which have the goal of improving access to care in the patient's language” says Sophie Thibodeau, president of the FFTNL before adding “That the work of the Réseau for the identification of the human resources offering health services in French is one that calls upon the collaboration of the partners with a common goal to provide better health services in French to the communities of Newfoundland and Labrador”.
Clear communication between health professionals and patients and their families is critical to quality service. More than one million francophone living in minority communities have limited access to quality health care services in their language, which can sometimes put them at very serious risk.
Led by the Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador (FFTNL), the mandate of the RSFTNL is to secure more French-language health services for the Francophone and Acadian communities of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Société Santé en français is a dynamic national association that works to promote French-language health care in Francophone and Acadian minority communities in Canada. SSF coordinates the 16 regional, provincial and territorial French Language Health Networks in their efforts to engage partners interested in ensuring better access to French-language health care in every province and territory where French is not the majority language. For additional information, go to www.santefrancais.ca.
Contact Information:
Roxanne Leduc, Responsable du Réseau santé en français de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador et directrice générale adjointe de la Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador
dga@fftnl.ca - (709) 757-2862
