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March 19th, Marie-Claude Félicien, Director of Primary Health Care Services for Women's Health, Handled by Women. WHIWH provides health care services to racialized women in Toronto and surrounding municipalities.Fred Lamb/The Globe and Mail
Marie-Claude Félicien immigrated to Canada from Saint Lucia in 2000 as a teenager. Because she was a newcomer and did not yet have public health insurance, her family easily avoided seeing a doctor. says Felicien.
Although no one suffered a major health crisis during this time, the fear of incurring medical costs added to family stress. This experience influenced how Felicien treated patients when she worked as a nurse and now works at Women's Health, a community health center for racialized women in Toronto. She has shaped the ethos of In Women's Hands (WHIWH) and is the Director of Primary Health Care Services. .
“Many people don't realize that newcomers have to pay out-of-pocket for health care services until they join the Ontario Health Insurance Plan,” Felicien says.
Like her and her family, most of the clients Felicien serves at WHIWH are black women from the Caribbean and Africa seeking medical care as they navigate their immigration process. Yet, of the clinic's current staff (two nurses, six physicians, and three nurses), only one nurse is Black.
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Most of the clients Felicien serves at WHIWH are black women from the Caribbean and Africa seeking medical care while navigating their immigration process.Fred Lamb/Globe and Mail
Felicien recognizes that the health care system does not serve all patients equally and believes in the value of health care providers and practitioners reflecting and understanding patient experiences. I am aware of this.
“This is something we have been trying to solve, so that patients feel comfortable with doctors and nurses who look like them and share their experiences,” Felicien said. Ta.
Her clinic is one of six community health centers in the Greater Toronto Area that is part of the Community Health Center Education Program (CHCE), which places first- and second-year Black medical students in community health centers across Ontario. One of the. This program is run by the Black Doctors Association of Ontario (BPAO).
According to the Province of Ontario, there are 75 community health centers in Ontario, each incorporated as a not-for-profit and with a primary focus on improving the health and well-being of people who face barriers to accessing health care services. It is said that he is guessing.
CHCE's nine-week educational program, now in its second year, brings Black medical students to work at one of six publicly funded community health centers near Toronto, where they work with homeless, newcomer, Black and racial It is dedicated to providing healthcare and other essential services to marginalized populations. , refugees, low-income people, and others in need. This program gives you experience providing care to racialized communities and allows you to learn about career paths in community health centers (CHCs).
Chenai Kadungure, executive director of BPAO, a nonprofit that fights racial health disparities, said a key part of the program is raising awareness about the need for Black physicians in CHCs.
A 2021 literature review published in the Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education found that Black patients have better experiences and increased satisfaction with their care when working with Black doctors as opposed to white doctors. It is reported that it did.
“We want Black medical students to know that there are other avenues to providing health care and making an impact beyond the popular careers of being a surgeon or working in a hospital,” Kadungure says.
Toyemi Opeoluwa-Karebs, a third-year medical student at the University of Toronto, was looking for a way to better connect with her city's community.
“When I heard about the CHCE program, I thought it would be a great opportunity to meet people working in the CHC field and also get to know the community,” says Opeoluwa Calebs, who came to Canada. High school international student from Nigeria.
Opeoluwa-Calebs was the first to complete a nine-week summer employment program in 2023.
In 2024, the program will be rolled out to all medical schools in Ontario, and five Black medical students will be given the opportunity to work at one of the CHCs in the Greater Toronto Area. Kadungure said students will receive $5,000 each for their participation over the summer.
“This gives students the opportunity to work in the medical field over the summer and gain hands-on experience that is not assessed in school,” she says.
At WHIWH, Felicien said CHC provides care to low-income women, women who are new to the country, women living with HIV, women without health insurance, and women in Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and other countries. She said she prioritizes care for women from South Asian communities.
“Many people are without medical care because they don't know where to turn, which can further exacerbate their needs,” Felicien said.
