September 2011 - Hot Topic

Ontario Public Health Association Membership: Myths and Facts

There are a number of misconceptions surrounding the OPHA membership and we thought it would be opportunistic to use this issue to provide greater clarity on the values and benefits of OPHA membership.

Myth #1:  My health unit is a member, so I must be a member.
Fact: OPHA only has individual membership categories

Belonging to a health unit does not provide any automatic membership for health unit staff.  There are four categories of membership:

  • General Membership (open to any public and other health professional)
  • Constituent society membership (discounted membership fee category open to any health professional that belongs to one of the Constituent Society organizations that comprise the OPHA board:  CHNIG/RNAO, ANDSOOHA, OSNPPH, AOHC, HPO, OPHLA, OAPHD, APHEO,CIPHI-O, ASPHIO-O.
  • Student (any full time student is eligible for this membership category)
  • Retirement (any retired health professional is eligible to join OPHA under this category).

Myth #2:  Non-members appear to enjoy the same benefits as OPHA members.
Fact: OPHA members enjoy special privileges

Although the provincial public health system benefits, in general, from the leadership that OPHA provides on a number of issues, OPHA members reap additional benefits.  These benefits include:

  •  Free knowledge transfer and exchange webinars (charge for non-members).
      • Sessions planned for 2011-12 include:
          • Youth Engagement
          • Results Based Accountability
          • Nutrition and the Consumer.
  • Discounted registration fees for our Fall Forums
  • Participation in OPHA knowledge exchange and transfer and networking groups (i.e., Communities of Practice and Networks) and OPHA members’ only Work Groups
  • Opportunity to contribute towards advocacy efforts (join discussion tables, forums
  • invitations to comment) – position papers, resolutions, advocacy letters and others
  • Access to a number of services and products for a fee (evaluation, measurement, reports, tools)
  • Eligibility for a number of OPHA membership awards and scholarship.
  • Access to OPHA’s new mentorship program!
      • New public health and other health professionals and students have an opportunity to be mentored by experienced public health professionals from amongst OPHA’s vast membership and Constituent Society partners.
      • Members have access to group mentorship opportunities given by some of Ontario’s key public health leaders gratis and at discounted rates (stay tuned…)

Myth #3:  I belong to another public health association (that is a Constituent Society), so I must also possess automatic OPHA membership.
Fact: Membership in one of our partnership organizations not only allows you a discounted membership rate at OPHA but also an opportunity to participate in joint initiatives and ventures that are currently being explored with all of our constituent society partners.

OPHA is a separate not-for-profit charitable organization. Although OPHA is a partner with 10 other Constituent Societies (CHNIG/RNAO, ANDSOOHA, OSNPPH, AOHC, HPO, OPHLA, OAPHD, APHEO,CIPHI-O, ASPHIO-O), members from these associations must pay a fee to join OPHA.