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Engaging Francophones

The Voice of Francophones

The community is an important partner to engage in guiding the work of the Réseau in planning French language health services. It is important to keep in constant dialogue with the community and remain current on the lived experiences of Francophones. Engaging the community in planning leads to sustainable solutions by drawing on local knowledge and diverse perspectives. Thus, the Réseau is the voice of Francophones to influence the health care system to improve access and equity to French language health services in Northern Ontario.

Engaging Carrefours santé and Health Tables

To enable Francophones in Northern Ontario to take charge of their health, the Réseau developed the approach of the Carrefours santé (Health Hubs). The Carrefours santé consists of a group of people in a community who come together to identify the needs of their community and find solutions.

This model empowers the community to actively participate in health service planning. The establishment of the Carrefours santé in 2012 has had a positive impact on Francophone communities :

  • Allowing for a dialogue between health service providers and the Francophone community through presentations and discussions at meetings;
  • Increasing the engagement of Francophones in the governance and planning of health service providers;
  • Organizing events that address certain health needs in their region (e.g., health fairs).

In some regions, Health Tables (Tables santé) act as a Carrefour santé.

Engaging Through Various Means

The Carrefour santé, is a flexible model that has been adapted according to the needs of the communities. The Réseau has also developed other means of engagement that are adapted to the needs of certain communities:

  • Working in collaboration with community organisations;
  • Participating in community committees;
  • Organizing occasional community engagement sessions based on identified needs;
  • Offering engaging presentations to Francophone groups;
  • Participating in Francophone community engagement sessions organized by a partner.

Engaging for Partners

In addition to ongoing engagements, the Réseau may be called upon to engage the community in a variety of contexts to support its partners:

  • Engagement for specific issues or projects;
  • Engagement for health service providers;
  • Engagement for Ontario Health Teams;
  • Engagement for Ontario Health;
  • Engagement for the Ministry of Health.

Resource Persons

Sylvie Sylvestre
Planning and Community Engagement Officer
Cochrane Region
1-866-489-7484
Fanny Roy
Planning and Community Engagement Officer
Nipissing / Temiskaming Region
1-866-489-7484
Roxanne Langemann
Planning and Community Engagement Officer (Interim)
Sudbury / Manitoulin / Parry Sound Region
1-866-489-7484
Janik Guy
Planning and Community Engagement Officer (Leave)
Algoma Region
1-866-489-7484
Frédérique Dallaire-Blais
Planning and Community Engagement Officer (Leave)
Sudbury / Manitoulin / Parry Sound Region
1-866-489-7484
Chantal Chartrand
Planning and Community Engagement Officer
North West Region
1-866-489-7484