July 2009 - Program Updates

Heart Health Resource Centre: Supporting Community Partnerships

by Andrea Bodkin, HHRC Manager

The Heart Health Resource Centre (HHRC) was established in 1993 and currently supports the 37 community partnerships of the Ontario Heart Health Program – Taking Action for Healthy Living (OHHP-TAFHL) who work locally to prevent cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases. Over the past several months the work of the OHHP has been shifting towards developing policy at the community level, and the HHRC is supporting the community partnerships as they move in this direction by providing a mix of supports ranging from webinars to resources to on-site consultations.

In May 2009, the HHRC collaborated with The Health Communication Unit (THCU) to present three webinars for OHHP community partners on THCU’s policy roadmap. Fifty-eight participants from across the province attended the webinars. Later that same month, the HHRC delivered a one-day workshop entitled “Health Promotion Policy Development and Implementation in Real World Settings”. Ninety-eight participants ranging from OHHP coordinators, community partners, public health professionals and health promoters from NGOs attended the event held at the Hilton Toronto. The aim of the workshop was to build on the policy roadmap delivered in the webinars, outline strategies to successfully influence policy and build environmental support, and present ‘real world’ case studies of success policy initiatives.

This summer, the HHRC will be publishing an edition of its “@ Heart” newsletter on the topic of policy development. Written by Nancy Dubois, the newsletter will provide ‘real world’ examples of policies and provide tips around engaging the community, working with decision-makers, developing and writing policy.

For more information about the HHRC and to view its resources, please visit our website.