The Healthier Community Partnership Initiative (HCP) is Fraser Health’s commitment to working with municipalities and community organizations to create healthy environments where citizens live, work, learn, and play.
The HCP initiative is a multi-faceted, inter-sectoral approach to improving the social and physical environments of communities through partnerships between Fraser Health Authority, local municipalities, and community-based organizations. The HCP plays a critical role in strengthening relationships with communities to work collectively to promote health at the local level and address the social determinants of health.
Fraser Health provides support to local HCP groups through a dedicated team of health professionals in each community. This team includes an Executive Director, a Medical Health Officer and a Community Health Specialist. Through shared leadership between local government and Fraser Health, the HCP group works to build community capacity and support specific action planning to promote health. This team also serves as a link between Fraser Health program areas and the municipality as required by specific community activities.
The objectives of each HCP are tailored to their community’s unique context, but primarily all HCPs focus on: building a better understanding of community health issues and the root causes of these issues; building partnerships and engaging the community; identifying key priority areas for action; collectively developing, implementing and monitoring community strategic health action plans; and regularly reporting and communicating on progress.
Fraser Health’s HCP team contributes by bringing best practice, expertise and knowledge in the development, implementation and evaluation of their Community Action Plans. Emphasis is placed on an upstream approach that focuses on policy, public awareness and initiatives that create supportive environments rather than centering on individual behaviour change or health services.
To complement work being done by the HCP team, a Healthy Built Environment contingent comprised of trained Health Protection staff has been formed to support Fraser Health communities.
Links and resources
Healthier Community Partnerships 2011 Video
Healthier Community Partnerships Building Better Health Together 2013 Video
Contact Fraser Health
Judi Mussenden
Clinical Manager, Healthy Living/Healthy Communities
Email: judi.mussenden@fraserhealth.ca
