Québec Health 101 Guide
Are you new to Québec City and have questions about the healthcare system? Consult our Québec Health 101 Guide. This guide was developed to help newcomers navigate the medical system here in Québec City with a little more ease and efficiency. This project was a joint effort between Jeffery Hale Community Services, the Community Wellness Centre and the Voice of English-speaking Québec.
Click here to consult the guide.
NEW! Travel4Health website
Several Community Health and Social Services Network members have developed a website (https://www.travel4health.ca/) to provide information and support to English-speaking patients who have to travel away from home for medical services.
Read the press release Here
Health Passport – Passeport Santé
Language is an essential determinant of health. Many studies, among them one conducted by L’Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) in collaboration with the Community Health and Social Service Network (CHSSN), strongly assert that quality communication and mutual understanding are essential components in the provision of healthcare and social services. Health providers must adapt their services to prioritize this and ensure consistent quality care.
As we know, a client’s inability to communicate effectively in French and/or navigate a cultural misunderstanding in the exchange between the professional and the client may increase the risks to client safety and the quality of care being provided. Most English-speaking newcomers do not have the proficiency in French needed to explain a health issue properly.
The Jeffery Hale – Saint Brigid’s Hospital is a designated institution that serves the English-speaking community of the greater Quebec City region. In a region where 98 % of the potential pool of health professionals is French-speaking and where resources are limited in language development, it is challenging to recruit bilingual employees and provide them with necessary language training. As we foresee an increase in immigrant clients and/or English speakers wishing to use the Jeffery Hale – Saint Brigid’s Hospital services in the coming years, VEQ and its health partners took the initiative to meet this rising need. Thus came the inspiration behind the Health Passport – Passeport Santé tool.
The purpose of this tool is to:
- Open dialogue and facilitate communication to maximize the quality of care.
- Empower English-speaking clients with a tool to enhance their ability to explain their health issues.
- Better equip and raise awareness of health professionals to the needs and realities of the English-speaking minority of the Quebec City region.
- Definitively position the Jeffery Hale – Saint Brigid’s Hospital as an institution that proudly fulfills its responsibilities to both linguistic communities and establishes an environment that adapts to the needs of its clientele.
If you would like a free copy of the Health Passport, contact VEQ at 418-683-2366 x221 or info@veq.ca
New App!
A new web app version is now available! Download it at www.veq.ca/hp
The Health Passport App 1.0 is designed to help individuals and families keep track of essential health information on their smartphone, tablet or home computer; it also provides a helpful guide to words and phrases in French to let patients and caregivers interact more effectively with French-speaking health care providers.
The “When Language Matters” Health Passport App 1.0 is VEQ’s first project in a new effort to harness digital technologies to enhance equitable access to services in English in Quebec. As part of the release, VEQ is actively gathering user feedback to enhance the functionality of future App versions. Please rate us and leave comments!
Partners in health and social services in Quebec City
Through the shared initiative of the Wellness Centre, managed by the Jeffery Hale Community Partners (JH Partners), VEQ collaborates with JH Partners and Jeffery Hale – Saint Brigid’s, especially its Community Services team. This close partnership allows an exchange of services that promote the development of the region’s English-speaking community and the health and well-being of its members.
At the Wellness Centre (or the WE), you will find a range of activities, workshops and special events for all ages through these programs: Family Matters, Caregivers’ Circle, WE Mind Mental Health, Well 50+, and general Community Wellness, as well as the SNACS Program supporting people with special needs and their families. You can also access an Income Tax service for those with low revenue. In addition, you can get involved in many interesting WE Volunteer opportunities, from the Chitchat Club, the Day Centre for seniors, Friendly Visits and Calls, Transportation to important medical appointments and the annual Community Christmas Hamper Campaign.
Jeffery Hale – Saint Brigid’s services
Jeffery Hale – Saint Brigid’s (JHSB) is a public institution that has provided a wide range of healthcare services, in French and English, to residents of Québec City for over 150 years. It offers a variety of safe, compassionate and high-quality health and social services including the following:
- A walk-in Minor Emergency Clinic: Open 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
- Jeffery Hale Community Services: CLSC-type services in English, including counselling, in-home support and evaluations for long-term care
- Lab tests and medical imaging
- Palliative Care
- Saint Brigid’s Home: A long-term care residence (CHSLD)
- Specialized Geriatric Consultations
- Vaccinations: Annual flu campaign and infant immunization
JHSB has been grouped with the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale since 2015. To learn about all of the above and more, be sure to visit jhsb.ca