Media.Knet.Ca

Register at http://www.driventoquit.ca by February 28, 2007

Grand prize - 2007 Acura CSX

OR

Regional prizes - 1 of 7 Sony 32” Widescreen LCD HDTVs
  

Step 1: Find a buddy

• Find a non-smoking buddy who will support you as you go smoke-free.
• Buddies can win too! To be eligible for a $250 Sears gift certificate, buddies must be 19 years of age or older and a non-smoker.
• Go to Helping Someone Quit for tips on how buddies can help.

Step 2: Register

• Register online free of charge by February 28, 2007.
• Register now at http://www.driventoquit.ca/english/before_you_enter/
• Only one entry per person is permitted.

Step 3: Quit smoking

• Quit smoking by March 1, 2007 and remain smoke-free until March 30, 2007.
• Call the Canadian Cancer Society Smokers' Helpline to increase your chances of quitting at 1 877 513-5333 (optional).
• Names will be randomly drawn on March 30, 2007.
• If selected, both you and your buddy will be contacted and asked to answer a skill-testing question.
• Buddies will be asked to confirm that you have remained smoke-free for the month of March 2007.
• To verify smoke-free status, the potential winner will be asked to take a urine test.
• Smoke-free means no use of tobacco products of any kind. You are allowed, however, to use nicotine replacement therapies (e.g. medications, gum or inhaler) and/or a doctor's prescription to help you quit.
• Winners will be announced publicly in April 30 2007.

Key Dates:

January 22 - Registration begins

February 28 - Deadline to register

March 1 - Quit month begins

March 30 - Final day of quit period

March 30 - Winner drawn

April 30 - bWinner announced on http://driventoquit.ca

This information is mostly for new moms ... I recently moved from Thunder Bay to Calgary. I would say that moving to Calgary has opened my eyes to all these things: importance of Breastfeeding, co-sleeping, and baby wearing.  Therefore, I just wanted to share it back to northern Ontario since these are my roots. Being a new mom has opened my eyes to so much. I realise how challenging this is and I just want to share this with other moms because these concepts are important in raising healthy strong Anishnabe children.

National Aboriginal Health Organization press release ...

National First Nations Youth Suicide Prevention Forum - A Call for Participants

DATE AND LOCATION
The Forum will take place during March 22-25, 2007 at the Nottawasaga Resort Inn in Alliston, ON.

NATIONAL FIRST NATIONS YOUTH SUICIDE PREVENTION FORUM

Suicide in our communities is reaching rates of epidemic proportions; approximately 5-7 times higher than the national average, varying within each community.

While many FN communities are responding to the alarming rates of suicide through intervention initiatives; many others are still looking for ways to respond.

The National First Nations Suicide Prevention Forum will provide opportunity for First Nations Youth to obtain and share information through:

• Showcasing successful suicide prevention initiatives through presentations and workshops
• Delivering SafeTALK first-contact training
• Provision of a forum for First Nations Youth to engage in discussions surrounding suicide prevention
• Opportunity for First Nations Youth to recommend action

PARTICIPANTS
The National First Nations Youth Suicide Prevention Forum will bring together 32 First Nations Youth; between the ages of 18-29. Participants should have experience and/or interest in suicide prevention or other relevant First Nations Health issues.

COSTS
Costs associated with attending the forum will be provided by the National Aboriginal Health Organization and will be limited to air/ground travel, accommodations, meals, and incidentals. Other costs must be assumed by the participant or sponsor.

APPLICATIONS
For additional application forms and more information on the Forum, please visit: www.naho.ca

Applications to attend the Forum must be completed in full, and accompanied by a letter of recommendation and short essay as detailed in the application form. Applications missing information will not be considered.

INFORMATION & INQUIRIES
For more information or to submit an application to attend, please contact:

Winona Polson-Lahache
Tel: 613.237.9462 Ext 505
Toll-free: 877.602.4445
Fax: 613.237.1810
wpolsonlahache@naho.ca.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS 5 PM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2007

Click here to download a copy of the application form

Communities in Action Fund (CIAF) program
 
Now in its fourth year, CIAF grants have been awarded to many community organizations and partnerships throughout the Province. Programs funded in the past included everything from dancing, skateboarding, trail use, tai chi, a range of popular sports including after-school sport programs for children and youth to mentoring programs. CIAF, a key initiative of the government's ACTIVE2010 Strategy and Ontario's Action Plan for Healthy Eating and Active Living has supported programs that remove barriers to participation for people of all ages and backgrounds - children and youth, low-income families, aboriginal people, older adults, women and girls, visible/ethnic minorities and people with disabilities.

For information on CIAF program guidelines as well as Active 2010, please visit the Ministry of Health Promotion's website at http://www.mhp.gov.on.ca/english/sportandrec/fund.asp.

There is a limited budget for CIAF funding and no guarantee that all applications will receive funding. Priority will be given to projects that meet CIAF and ACTIVE2010 priorities and result in getting inactive people active to improve health and fitness.

For your information, the last day for receipt of applications is March 2, 2007.

From http://www.cbc.ca/cp/health/070125/x012515A.html

Ontario targets aboriginal youth to reduce smoking rates among teens

Thursday, January 25, 2007 - Canadian Press: KEITH LESLIE

TORONTO (CP) - The number of aboriginal youth in Canada who smoke is three to four times higher than those of non-aboriginal teens, but the federal government is not helping Ontario's efforts to curb their tobacco use, Health Promotion Minister Jim Watson said Thursday.

Statistics from a 2003 Canada-wide survey found 61 per cent of aboriginal girls between ages 15 and 17 smoke, compared with the provincial average of 15 per cent, while 47 per cent of aboriginal boys smoke, compared with 13 per cent of non-aboriginal males in the same age group.

Other figures from Health Canada show the majority of aboriginal adults smoke, and that 52 per cent of them picked up the habit between the ages of 13 and 16.

Watson said Ontario's smoke-free strategy is being hindered by the federal government's refusal to stop reserves from passing their own bylaws allowing smoking.

"The feds indicated they're not prepared to take action to allow enforcement of these kinds of laws, which is regrettable," Watson said.

"The challenge we face is that this is larger than simply a health issue - it's a constitutional issue."

Dr. Malcolm King of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research said aboriginal youth smoking rates are a concern, and suggested the teens themselves would be the best ones to devise a public awareness campaign to help their peers kick the habit.

King also said Ontario would be wise to stick to its plan to work with aboriginal communities and forget about trying to get Ottawa to enforce a smoking ban on reserves.

"It's probably going to be more rewarding to work with First Nations and convince them to take the action that they need rather than externally imposing regulations," King said from Edmonton.

"From what I've seen, those kinds of approaches don't generally work that well."

Watson visited an aboriginal health centre in downtown Toronto on Thursday to announce a public awareness campaign that will target young aboriginals with radio spots as well as pamphlets and posters in five languages.

"One of the things that we have not done a good job of in the past is communicating in the language of the people we're trying to reach," he said.

"The federal government could be more co-operative, but at the end of the day, if we can't get their co-operation we will work with First Nations and aboriginal communities, like we are with this program."

Fiona Blondin of Anishinawbe Health Toronto said aboriginal teenagers need to be made aware of the dangers of tobacco and second-hand smoke.

"Our experience leads us to believe that there's a real overwhelming need in our community for prevention and for campaigns that focus in on prevention," Blondin said.

Dan Waboose, who performed a traditional drum ceremony at Watson's announcement, noted aboriginals have a long history of using tobacco in ceremonies, but said young people shouldn't confuse those spiritual uses with the abuse of commercial tobacco products.

"Modern cigarettes are filled with many, many toxins and poisons," Waboose said.

"It's important that we teach our people about tobacco."

The government says tobacco-related diseases cost the Ontario health-care system at least $1.7 billion annually.

Dr. John McLaughlin of Cancer Care Ontario said the public awareness campaign will be a critical step towards convincing young aboriginals about the dangers of smoking.

"This plan and the communities of aboriginal people have really helped to define new ways of thinking about the problem and helping us to deal with it," McLaughlin said.

"The use of commercial tobacco is the cause of more preventable deaths than anything else."

Tobacco companies complain they've been losing business to illegal cigarette sales, and say almost all black-market smokes sold in Canada are manufactured on aboriginal reserves.

Watson said Ontario has taken "a much more aggressive stand" in cracking down on illegal cigarette sales and manufacturing on reserves, "but clearly we still have a challenge with tobacco leaving the reserve and illegal tobacco products."

Ontario is also organizing an aboriginal tobacco strategy youth summit in Toronto in March to develop action plans to fight smoking.

Welcome, Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre is pleased to provide you with the latest update on the New Hospital Project that was prepared in December 2006.Viewers have an option to view the power point presentation in the following Languages : English, Oji-Cree, and Ojibway.

Communities in Action Fund program is now available, application deadline is set for March 2, 2007 (see press release below).

The Communities In Action Fund (CIAF) aims to help bring about a physical activity and community sport culture in Ontario by helping local and provincial not-for-profit organizations provide and enhance opportunities for physical activity through community sport and recreation.

This initiative is a key piece of ACTIVE2010: Ontario’s Sport and Physical Activity Strategy that aims to help Ontarians be more physically active. The program also supports Ontario’s Action Plan for Healthy Eating and Active Living, which was introduced by the Minister of Health Promotion Jim Watson in June 2006.
Eligible program applicants can receive non-capital funding for projects falling under one or a combination of categories covering planning, implementation, and/or development.

Specific information regarding the focus and eligibility requirements can be found in the CIAF guidelines.

If your organization is interested in applying to the CIAF and helping your community to be more physically active, please contact myself at the email address below. Consultation with ministry staff is strongly encouraged before submitting an application.

By working together, we can help Ontarians realize the benefits of an active lifestyle and contribute to a healthier Ontario. 
The message is ready to be sent with the following file or link attachments:

Shortcut to: http://www.mhp.gov.on.ca/english/sportandrec/fund.asp

Full details available online, but if you have any difficulty please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Laurie Moyer
Regional Advisor
Regional Services Branch
Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration
Ministry of Culture
Ministry of Health Promotion, Sports and Recreation Branch
62 Queen Street, P.O. Box 267
Sioux Lookout, ON  P8T 1A3

Telephone: 807-737-1018
Fax:    807-737-3419
Email: Laurie.Moyer@ontario.ca
www.citizenship.gov.on.ca. 
www.culture.gov.on.ca 
www.mhp.gov.on.ca
www.tourism.gov.on.ca

Ontario press release ...

McGuinty Government's Investment Keeping Ontario Active

Community Organizations Encouraged To Apply For Grants To Increase Rates of Physical Activity

TORONTO, Jan. 8 - For 2007-2008, the Ontario government is planning to invest $5 million into the highly successful Communities in Action Fund (CIAF) program, Health Promotion Minister Jim Watson announced today.

CIAF is a key initiative of the government's ACTIVE2010 Strategy and Ontario's Action Plan for Healthy Eating and Active Living. By improving opportunities for community sport and physical activity, CIAF helps to remove barriers to participation for children and youth, low-income families, aboriginal people, older adults, women and girls, visible/ethnic minorities and people with disabilities. Visit www.mhp.gov.on.ca/english/sportandrec/fund.asp for details.

"Our government is investing in this important program because it is working at the community level to enhance health and fitness," said Watson. "CIAF helps to provide Ontarians with access to sport and recreational activities."

Over the last three years, more than $15.8 million in CIAF grants have been awarded to approximately 542 organizations at the provincial and local levels. The fund supports programs that reach people of all ages and backgrounds. Programs funded by these grants include everything from dancing, skateboarding, tai chi and a range of popular sports to after-school sport programs for children and youth as well as mentoring programs.

"CIAF funding has helped us to make physical activity an easy choice for children with developmental and physical disabilities," said Henk Engles, Executive Director of the Ontario Track 3 Ski Association. "Sports create an opportunity for children to develop self-respect, self esteem and independence. These are life long skills which help young people integrate into school and the community."

This year, application forms are available on the Ministry's website: www.mhp.gov.on.ca. Applicants are encouraged to contact a ministry consultant prior to filing an application; contact information can be found on the website. The program guidelines have been expanded to encourage applicants to demonstrate how their projects also meet two key additional ministry priorities: injury prevention and mental health promotion. Where appropriate, applicants are encouraged to demonstrate how their project supports these two priorities while increasing physical activity.

"The Communities In Action Fund has already helped thousands of Ontarians become more active," said Watson. "We want to encourage as many organizations as possible to apply for these grants and I'm looking forward to seeing the great work that community organizations will do with CIAF support in 2007."

The Ministry of Health Promotion was established to improve and deliver programs that contribute to healthy living and wellness in Ontario. Key priority areas include Ontario's smoke-free strategy, healthy eating, active living, sport and recreation, injury prevention and mental health promotion.

www.mhp.gov.on.ca
www.active2010.ca

For further information: Adam Grachnik, Minister's Office, (416) 326-8497; Julie Rosenberg, Communications Branch, (416) 326-4833

Chiefs of Ontario press release ...
http://www.chiefs-of-ontario.org/news/dec20-06.html

Notice of Ontario Chiefs Forum on Health - December 20, 2006

This is an official Notice to all First Nations in Ontario that the Chiefs Forum on Health will be held at the Delta Chelsea Hotel in Toronto, Ontario on Wednesday, February 28th and Thursday, March 1st, 2007 to commence at 8:30 a.m. each day.

The Chiefs Forum on Health will be formally constituted as a Special Chiefs Assembly (SCA), to permit the passage of binding Resolutions, but only in relation to the health topics discussed at the Chiefs Forum on Health.

The normal Chiefs Assembly Rules of Procedure will apply, with one important modification mandated by Resolution 06/103 (“Quorum for Chiefs in Assembly Gatherings”) passed at the Garden River SCA on November 16, 2006. According to Resolution 06/103, all Chiefs of Ontario Assemblies require “sixty percent (60%) of all membership to be present in order to make decisions on behalf of the region”. The new 60% quorum is required for decision-making by way of Resolution, but is not required for general discussion.

Because of the importance of the Chiefs Forum on Health and the effect of the new quorum rule, all First Nation Chiefs (or Proxies) are respectfully urged to attend in Toronto on February 28 and March 1, 2007.

Further Information will be forthcoming in the New Year.

Lori Jacobs, Executive Director
 
Download Documents

• Health Forum Registration Form
• Health Forum Agenda
• Health Forum Proxy Letter

+++++++++++++

CHIEFS FORUM ON HEALTH
February 28 & March 1, 2007
Delta Chelsea, Toronto

DRAFT AGENDA (Dec. 15/06)
DAY I – Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - 8:30 a.m.

1. Registration Call to Order

2. Grand Entry

3. Introduction of Chairperson(s)

4. Welcoming Address
* Chief Bryan LaForme, Mississaugas of New Credit

5. Opening Address
* Ontario Regional Chief (tbc)
* First Nation Inuit Health (tbc)
* Chair, Ontario Chiefs Committee on Health (tbc)

6. Adoption of Rules and Procedure/Draft Agenda
* Chairperson(s)

7. FNIH Budget

8. Upstream Investments
* Panel – Q & A

9. Pandemic Influenza

10. NNADAP

11. Injury Prevention

12. AFN Update

DAY II – Thursday, March 1, 2007 - 8:30 a.m.

1. Registration/Call to Order

2. Opening Prayer - Elder

3. Overview by Chairperson

4. Health Accord

5. Pan-Aboriginal Open Dialogue
* AHWS
* Mental Health

6. Public Health

7. LHINs

8. Closing Prayer – Elder

Resolutions will be dealt with after each issue

Health Canada press release ...

Canada's New Government Invests $3.7M to Establish a Third Wait Times Guarantee: for First Nations Diabetes Care

WINNIPEG, MB, Jan. 5 - The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health, today announced that Health Canada is developing an innovative pilot project in partnership with Saint Elizabeth Health Care and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, to establish a wait times guarantee for First Nations people living on reserve in Manitoba who face debilitating infections and possible amputations arising from diabetes.

Diabetes rates are high among Canada's First Nations and they also have a higher rate of complications such as vision loss, kidney damage and foot ulcers leading to amputations. More than 90 per cent of lower limb loss among Manitoba First Nations occurs in those with diabetes. This compares with 10 percent of the general Canadian population. These facts underscore the need to improve First Nations access to diabetes care.

"This wait time guarantee pilot project for First Nations diabetes care will benefit Manitoba First Nations and all Canadians," said Minister Clement. "This third wait time guarantee clearly demonstrates that Canada's New Government is delivering on its promise to make sure that all Canadians receive essential medical treatment within clinically acceptable waiting times."

The project brings expertise from Saint Elizabeth Health Care, a non-profit organization, to work in an innovative partnership with First Nations and the federal government toward an effective solution to this serious problem.

"This pilot project will improve accessibility to treatment for First Nations in Manitoba and should reduce the need for debilitating amputations," said Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Evans.

"This partnership with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs builds on our ongoing work with First Nations. The current gap in health and quality of life between Aboriginal people and other Canadians requires action. With this initiative, we're moving ahead," said Michael Decter, Chair of the Board Saint Elizabeth Health Care.

Shirlee Sharkey, president and CEO of Saint Elizabeth Health Care, added: "We are pleased that the Honourable Tony Clement is supporting innovative approaches to care, understands the importance of training to ensure the successful application of clinical guidelines and we hope to see better wound care and patient outcomes as a result."

This guarantee will test a defined time frame for diabetic foot ulcer care and establish a set of alternative care options, should that time frame be exceeded. Establishing these alternate care options should ultimately lead to certainty, clarity and confidence for Canadians that their health care system will be there for them when they need it.

The goal of the project is to reduce the damage caused by foot ulcers in individuals with diabetes. The key elements of the project will be: the establishment of data collection tools; consultation with patients, health care providers, experts and stakeholders; and reporting on the data collected and the effectiveness of the Patient Wait Times Guarantee.

The eighteen-month pilot project will be implemented in selected First Nations communities in Manitoba in partnership with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. Saint Elizabeth Health Care will work with these communities, Health Canada staff and other health professionals in areas related to training, the transfer of knowledge, and the implementation of changes to improve practices.

The benefits of this project will be numerous:

• an increase in the emotional and physical wellbeing of families and individuals - which keeps people out of the hospitals;
• a decrease in unnecessary transportation;
• savings to the health care system; and
• the knowledge that will be shared throughout our health care system, which will help countless other patients who need wound care.

Saint Elizabeth Health Care is a non-profit charitable organization that is a leader in Canada in identifying gaps, aligning resources, and maximizing resources to the benefit of health care providers and - most importantly - patients. In terms of direct service, they currently make 1.5 million wound care visits per year and have worked closely with Manitoba First Nations to improve health service delivery.

For further information: Media Enquiries: Carole Saindon, Health Canada, (613) 957-1588; Erik Waddell, Office of the Honourable Tony Clement, Federal Minister of Health, (613) 957-0200; Public Enquiries: (613) 957-2991, 1-866 225-0709; Health Canada news releases are available on the Internet at www.healthcanada.gc.ca/media

Call for Proposals Virtual Aboriginal Health Learning Institute (VAHLI)

Issuing Office: Policy and Communications
Unit Address: 220 Laurier Avenue W. Suite 1200. Ottawa, ON K1P 5Z9
Attention: Manager, Mark Buell
Date: December 19, 2006

This is a select call to individuals, firms, or organizations to provide a comprehensive planning proposal for the preliminary research for the VAHLI based on 60 days of work.

Download full request document (PDF 126kb)

OBJECTIVES and BACKGROUND

The National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) proposes to undertake the development of an innovative and collaborative initiative that will address culture-related issues to enhance knowledge transfer relative to Aboriginal health and Telehealth strategies. Moreover, the development of the VAHLI will relate to E-Learning or Knowledge Management that will address learning needs for health professionals and provide a pilot skills enhancement workshop to demonstrate this potential. The development of cultural competencies in the delivery of health care services will be a primary focus of this initiative.

The overall planning objective for the E-Learning project is to develop a framework for a Virtual Aboriginal Health Learning Institute (VAHLI) which will be achieved through three priorities. First will be to obtain an understanding of the current Telehealth infrastructure in Aboriginal communities throughout Canada and to identify education needs that can be addressed by the VAHLI via the Telehealth modality. The second priority will demonstrate the potential uses of telehealth/video conferencing. Wherein NAHO and its three centres - the First Nations, Inuit and Métis - engage in knowledge transfer (KT) processes with the audience. The third priority will identify communities’ needs and aspirations for Telehealth. A direct output of this proposed project will be enhanced educational services to Aboriginal communities through Telehealth.

In order to do this work the incumbent will be provided with Schedule A Form of the Project Charter and the Preliminary Research Report which discusses a needs assessment and literature review of current telehealth sites.

www.naho.ca