EvalByte: Documenting the Development of the New Canadians Health Centre

EvalByte
Documenting the Development of the New
Canadians Health Centre
Written by Cristian Neves, Augustine Botwe, and Anja Dzunic (ECN Research Assistants)
What is the context of the project?
Refugees have unique and complex health needs, but current
health services are not meeting their needs. In the transition to
life in Canada, inequalities, language barriers, and loss of social
networks profoundly impact refugees’ quality of life. Until 2021,
Edmonton was the only major city in Canada without a health
centre for refugees. Without access to a holistic model of health
care, refugees’ well-being can decline and negatively impact
their quality of life and integration into the community. In
response, the New Canadians Health Centre (NCHC) was
established in August 2021.
The NCHC developed a partnership with the ECN to
collaboratively design and implement a principle
based evaluation of the health
centre. This project is part of
the year one evaluation of the
NCHC. It aims at capturing the
collaborative process of
developing and implementing
the NCHC and its core
principles which are rooted in
promoting social justice, equity,
and inclusion.
Key points
THE NCHC IS RESPONDING
TO UNMET NEEDS OF
REFUGEE COMMUNITIES IN
EDMONTON
THE PROJECT AIMS AT
DOCUMENTING THE HEALTH
CENTRE'S DEVELOPMENT
AND IMPLEMENTATION
STUDY PARTICIPANTS WERE
INTERVIEWED ABOUT THE
PAST, PRESENT, AND
FUTURE OF THE NCHC
FINDINGS WILL INFORM
PRACTICES OF THE NCHC
AND HONOUR THE WORK OF
COMMUNITY MEMBERS
July 2022

What is the NCHC?
The New Canadians Health Centre is a culturally
responsive and respectful heath care initiative for
refugees. It follows a community-driven approach
to health care, with the involvement of a lived
experience advisory committee informing and
shaping the practices of the health centre. A
decade of advocacy by community organizations
such as the Refugee Health Coalition, Catholic
Social Services, the Edmonton Mennonite Centre
for Newcomers, and the Multicultural Health
Brokers Cooperative, with support from
researchers and students from the University of
Alberta, secured funding to address the unmet
health needs of newcomers and provide a safe
space to create community.
What is the project working
on?
We are currently documenting how the NCHC was
developed to take care of the health and well-being
of refugees in Edmonton. The study is also
soliciting the views of participants on current and
future practices at the health centre, and the
resources required to sustain its implementation.
Seven individuals were interviewed who were either
instrumental in the development of the health
centre, either in research, advocacy, funding or
partnerships, or are currently involved at the
operational level of the health centre.
The interviews are currently being transcribed
and will be thematically analyzed using NVivo 12,
a qualitative data analysis software. The findings
from this study will be shared in a report with all
relevant stakeholders (NCHC staff, partners, and
community members).
Why is the project
meaningful?
Documenting the NCHC's journey is important for
learning about its’ health initiatives development
and honouring the work and dedication of many
passionate community members towards a
culturally responsive health system.
The findings of this project will inform the health
centre's management of its operations, and
provide feedback and recommendations to the
management and board. They will support
advocacy initiatives for the NCHC and contribute
to the promotion of community-based health
programs designed for refugee populations.
Resources
U of A Folio: The NCHC aims to help refugees
thrive
Refugee Health Coalition: Community
Engagement Report
Reference
NCHC Evaluation Working Group. (February 14, 2022). NCHC Evaluation Framework Slides (living document) [Unpublished presentation].
Acknowledgment
We acknowledge the partnership and continuous support provided by the New Canadians Health Centre, the NCHC Evaluation and
Research Committee, the primary investigator of this project, Tehseen Ladha, and co-investigator Rebecca Gokiert.
July 2022