Social Pediatrics program wins national award and successfully implemented in dozens of other sites across the United States and Canada. “It is well documented that children facing
Partners for success: Horizon’s SJRH and NBCC Saint John
A Horizon hospital has been awarded the first Industry Partner Award from its neighbouring college, celebrating a long and beneficial relationship between the education and health care institutions. For more than four decades, New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) has been a driving force in New Brunswick’s economic and social prosperity. NBCC’s programs, services and initiatives support the aspirations of individual learners, further the opportunities of the labour market and, in collaboration with partners, enable solutions for the challenges of communities and industry. One of those partners is Horizon’s Saint John Regional Hospital (SJRH), the largest tertiary care hospital in New Brunswick. For years, the SJRH has partnered with the Saint John Campus of NBCC in a mutually beneficial relationship. “The relationship with NBCC has existed for as long as both facilities has existed,” said Brenda Kinney, executive director of the Saint John region of Horizon. “It’s a relationship that developed out of necessity; we depend on having a workforce that is prepared by NBCC.” For decades, NBCC graduates in the health care, administrative and trades fields have found work at the hospital. Before they graduate, they also benefit from use of training equipment donated by the hospital, use of The Community Star Awards are given to an individual, group, company, organization or a community involved in the promotion of addiction prevention, intervention or postvention activities. The recipients of the 2018 Community Star Awards were Rachel Mills (Miramichi area), Ensemble Moncton (Moncton area), Avenue B (Saint John area), and Fredericton Housing First Services (Fredericton and Upper River Valley area). “Horizon is pleased to support our Community Star recipients, because that’s truly what they are,” said Jean Daigle, Horizon’s VP of Community. “Whether through lived experience, or providing support to those who need it, our 2018 Community Stars are living our Horizon mission of helping people be healthy by allowing many to overcome barriers and empower their future.” The Community Star Awards are sponsored by the Department of Health. Every year, each area within Horizon and Vitalité Health Networks selects an award recipient from the community during National Addictions Awareness Week, which promotes a healthy lifestyle and helps reduce the risk of addiction among the general population.
organizations in the community aiming to better the care of families and children. Dr. Marianne McKenna, originally from Summerside, P.E.I., joined in 2009 as a General Pediatrician. Active in medical education and advocacy, she is the Regional Director of Medical Education for Dalhousie University. She is a lead in the Child Advocacy Centre project which is bringing holistic and one-stop services for children suspected to have suffered from sexual maltreatment. Marianne is on the board of the teen pregnancy network and is the lead for the Social Pediatrics clinical elective at Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick. Dr. Annie Murphy-Savoie is originally from Saint John and returned after her training at Memorial University and Toronto Sick Kids as a Developmental Pediatrician specializing in behavioural and developmental disorders. She has a practice in Horizon’s St. Joseph’s Hospital and continues to be actively involved in advocacy in the community and research to ensure the best care of kids in New Brunswick. Annie was very involved in the development of the early learning centre in the south end of Saint John, which serves children in one of our focus neighbourhoods. This team of pediatricians and researchers are invested in improving the long-term health and social outcomes of our children. Their commitment and strong community ties are the cornerstone of Community Social Pediatrics in New Brunswick.
social disparities, trauma and toxic stress will experience a disproportionate number of negative physical and mental health outcomes across their lifespan,” said Dr. Gander. “From
The New Brunswick Social Pediatrics team. From left: Sarah Campbell, Dr. Sarah Gander, Dr. Marianne McKenna, Dr. Annie Murphy-Savoie and Kathryn Flood.
A Horizon initiative helping children and families in their social lives, community and society has won a grant from a national organization, which it will use to further help families struggling with addiction. New Brunswick Social Pediatrics (NBSP) is a relatively new initiative developed with the primary purpose of improving the quality of life, health and long-term outcomes of children and their families in our province. The team, based at Horizon’s Saint John Regional Hospital, is led by Drs. Sarah Gander, Marianne McKenna and Annie Murphy-Savoie. They are supported by Sarah Campbell, research manager, and Kathryn Flood, research coordinator. In February, NBSP was awarded a $25,000 grant from The National Chapter of Canada IODE to implement the Strengthening Families Program. The program focuses on high-risk families struggling with addiction in the Saint John area. The program uses parent-child therapy techniques, and focuses on intervention, teaching effective parenting strategies and helping children learn skills, through interactive play, that may decrease their risk for behavioral disorders and future addictions. “The emphasis on the whole family is key to the success of this program,” said Dr. Gander. “This is seen as a potentially life-altering program to vulnerable families as it provides parent-coaching, a meal and models a supportive, healthy environment for families.” Ten families will participate in this 14-week pilot program in the fall, with follow-up sessions six and 12 months later. NBSP’s flagship project is the Parent-Child Assistance Program (PCAP), a three-year program that targets women who use drugs or alcohol during pregnancy and aims to help break the cycle of generational poverty in our priority neighbourhoods. PCAP is specifically tailored to address the needs of pregnant and recently postpartum women who experience alcohol- and substance-use disorder. This program was piloted in Washington State in the early 1990s with positive results and has since been evaluated, expanded,
this understanding emerged the field of Community Social Pediatrics, which seeks to impact health at the community level and addresses the needs of children and families in a way that reflects the social context of their lives, community and society.” About the team Dr. Sarah Gander is a native to New Brunswick who has settled in Saint John and is raising her family of two boys, Eddie and David with her husband Steve. Sarah started her practice as a pediatrician in 2008 after training in Newfoundland and Kingston, Ont. She is the Pediatric Clinical Department Head in Saint John and has a busy clinical practice. Sarah is faculty at both Dalhousie University and Memorial University of Newfoundland and completed her Master of Education in 2016. Sarah is very involved with numerous
From left: Chris London, NBCC Board of Governors; Brenda Kinney, executive director, Saint John area, Horizon; and Marilyn Luscombe, NBCC President and CEO.
hospital resources, practicum placements and support for applied research projects. “Applied research at NBCC has really grown the last 10 to 15 years, and that’s led to a really good partnership between NBCC, the University (of New Brunswick at Saint John) and us as a living lab,” said Brenda. “Our co- location here in Tucker Park has really opened up lots of opportunities between partners.” In celebration of the partnership between the College and the hospital, NBCC Saint John has
awarded its first Industry Partner Award to the SJRH. The award recognizes the hospital’s consistent and dedicated support of NBCC learners and alumni. “We’re thrilled to receive this award,” said Brenda. “It’s an absolutely wonderful recognition of a very important partnership, one that both parties benefit from. We are very happy to be in partnership with NBCC.”
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*This article has been slightly adapted from the original version, which appeared on NBCC’s website.
Community Star Award recipients help others overcome barriers, empower their future
The 2018 Community Star Award recipients are truly bright lights in their communities.
Fredericton
Miramichi
From left: Mike Ryan, Housing First coordinator; Bruce MacPherson, director for Horizon’s Addiction and Mental Health Services in the Fredericton and Upper River Valley areas; and Shelby MacIntyre, Housing First coordinator.
Charlotte Pickford (left), programmanager for Horizon’s Addiction and Mental Health Services in the Miramichi area, and Rachel Mills (right).
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Moncton
Jill LeBlanc-Farquharson (middle), director of Horizon’s Addiction and Mental Health Services for the Moncton area, and DebbyWarren (left), executive director at Ensemble, along with colleagues. Horizon congratulates these valued community partners.
Saint John
Susan Neal and Renee Fournier, managers of Addiction &Mental Health Services, present the Saint John award to Julie Dingwell, executive director of Avenue B along with staff and clients.
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