Analysis of Primary Health Care Center: Somerset West Community Health Center

This article provides an analysis of the Somerset West Community Health Center, a non-profit community-based organization that provides primary healthcare services, healthcare advancement and social improvement in Canada. The center offers a wide variety of programs and services designed to address the needs of their community through Primary Care, Health Promotion, Families and Children, Mental Health and Addictions and Chronic Disease Management. The center is guided by the principles of health provision according to the Canada Health Act. These principles are; accessibility, health promotion, use of technology, public/ community involvement/ participation, and inter-sectoral alliances. The center ensures accessibility of health care services for all residents residing in Ottawa and provides services for walk-in patients every day. The center also ensures health promotion through various community programs and provides intensive resources that educate the public on various aspects of healthcare. The center uses technology and information system skills in their provision of services in their day to day operations. The center has inter-sectoral partnerships and has involved the community and general public in their programs and operations.

Running head: Seminar 4: Analysis of Primary Health Care Center 1
Seminar 4: Analysis of Primary Health Care Center or project
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Introduction
Primary Health Care centers are essential government facilities that were built up to
give cheap and accessible essential medicinal services to individuals of the general public.
Primary health care centers are the first choice for most people for health-related matters.
Primary health care centers are mostly run by general practitioners but also other professionals
such as pharmacists, dentists and opticians provide primary health care services. Primary health
care centers play an important role in the society and medical care provision s they receive a
large number of people with different queries and concerns each day (Suter et al., 2017).
The primary objectives of Canadian Primary Health Care providers include enhanced
acquiring of essential care administrations; improved systematization and assimilation of care;
extension of group-based ways to deal with clinical care; enhanced propriety of care, giving
attention to aversion and managing immedicable and complex disease; more education on
importance of self care to patients the usage and utilization of information technology system for
patient’s medical records, more satisfactory services for both patient and health provider,
conveyance of a characterized set of administrations to a particular populace, appropriation of a
populace based way to deal with designing and providing care, open cooperation in
administration and basic leadership, building limit with regards to quality change, responsiveness
to patients' and networks' needs, more noteworthy health value, healthcare framework
responsibility, proficiency, supportability(Hutchison, Levesque, Strumpf & Coyle, 2011). In
order to achieve these goals, the government of Canada and the primary health care providers
need to apply strategies in every health care center around the country using given policies.

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Analysis of the Somerset Community Health Center
When searching the internet, I came across the Somerset West Community Health Center
(https://swchc.on.ca/) and I was interested in learning more about them and the services they
provide. Somerset West Community Health Center is one of the best non-benefits; community-
based and administered association that gives essential healthcare services, healthcare
advancement and social improvement in Canada. The healthcare center offers a wide assortment
of projects and services intended to address the issues of their locale through Primary Care,
Health Promotion, Families and Children, Mental Health and Addictions and in addition Chronic
Disease Management. The center has been providing services to residents of Ottawa River to
Carling Avenue and Island Park to Lyon Street for over 45 years. The center is run by a Board of
Directors and their services provision is guided by well-defined vision, mission, beliefs and
aspirations. The center has a team of highly qualified health professionals and social workers.
The Somerset West Community Health Center is guided by the principles of health
provision according to the Canada Health Act. These principles are; accessibility, health
promotion, use of technology, public/ community involvement/ participation, and inter-sectoral
alliances (Canadian Nurses Association, 2003).
The Community Health Center ensures the accessibility of health care services for all
residents residing in Ottawa. This is through providing services from Monday to Friday from
9:00 am to 4:30 p.m and up to 7:30 p.m for Tuesday and Thursdays. The center also ensures that
the needs of their clients are met by use of an accessibility plan to reach all patients and learn
about their diverse needs and come up with strategies for the patients to access the services. An
accessibility plan for the center is available online at

Seminar Analysis of rimary ealth Care Center or project4: P H 4
https://swchc.on.ca/sites/default/files/SWCHC_Accessibility_Plan_2018-03-01_0.pdf. The
health center also provides services for walk-in patients every day from 1:00 p.m to 4:30 p.m.
This ensures that both the clients with appointments and those without appointments are all
provided with primary health care services. Also, the clinic offers clients surveys to weigh the
client’s satisfaction levels and also learn on how they can improve their services and access.
Their sample survey is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/client-experience-2016.
The center also ensures health promotion through various community programs. Such
programs include the after-school educational program for children, one on one support for
patients and the general community, social events such as society kitchen program for adults,
summer camps for youths and leadership programs for youths. Also, the center provides a
primary health care awareness program that is coordinated by nurses and social workers who
provide health check-ups, screenings, and referrals for old people. This is important in the
promotion of health of old people and management of chronic sickness (Levasseur et al 2017).
Other programs provided by the center are the Supervised Consumption Site,
Educational Program on Lung health and therapy for individuals who want to quit smoking, an
education program on mental health, a health program for newcomers such as refugees and pre
and post-pregnancy education program (Stuart et al., 2014)
The center also in both their website and in print provides intensive resources that
educate the public on various aspects of healthcare from immunization to management of
chronic diseases to prevention of some diseases and advisable practices for good health. All
these programs ensure that the community is well informed of the health issues already existing

Seminar Analysis of rimary ealth Care Center or project4: P H 5
and those arising every day and taught on the preventative and curative measures (Stuart et al.,
2014)
The Somerset West community center uses technology and information system skills in
their provision of services in their day to day operations. They have a well-functioning website
that has the contacts of the medical practitioners for use in case of queries or booking of
consultation appointment. The website also provides a comprehensive map and directions for
residents who might be new or who do not know the location of the center and wish to visit
them. They also make use of social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Youtube for
interaction with patients, media sharing for the provision of public with more knowledge, and
customer care services. They also send clients and patient’s newsletters to convey the various
programs available in the center, upcoming events and general health advice. This makes the
process of educating the public on health easier and also accessible to all. The use of electronic
records also ensures efficiency in place of work (Paré et al., 2015)
The Somerset West Community Health Care Center has interpectoral partnerships as it
has partnered with several bodies that donate funds for them. It has also partnered with other
health care centers and the general public and it includes their professional team which is made
of nurses, pharmacists, dentists, and opticians. This partnership ensures the mutual relationship
between the bodies and thus more resources are available for healthcare support and provision
and education plans. With enough resources and workforce, there is a better chance of
community development through sufficient health care (Chircop, Bassett & Taylor, 2015)
The health center has also involved the community and general public in their
programs and operations. This is through community programs such as community kitchens for

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adults, after-school programs for school children and referrals for old people to community
resources. This involvement ensures that every member of the society is a part of the community
growth and all individuals benefit from this programs and participation. In addition, every
individual is pushed to work on their self-care and management. (Freund et al., 2015)
Through the use of governing principles of technology, public participation, health
promotion, and accessibility of health care services, the Somerset West Community Health Care
Center promotes the themes of populace/ society well being, advancement of good health
practices and defensive and preventative courses against diseases. This promotes individual
growth, community growth, and thus the economic development of the society. The center
achieves this through measures against the determinants of health care in Canada. Healthy
behaviors are primary health determinants. Through education programs to children, youths,
adults and the elderly on behaviors that promote health, the society is more equipped to learn the
hazardous behaviors and the commendable practices and employ them on their day to day lives.
In addition, these education programs provide literacy on health issues and how to avoid them
(Hajizadeh, Bombay & Asada 2018).
Education and literacy is a determinant of health in the society and the more educated the
members of the society are the healthier the daily practices thus promoting community well
being. Another determinant of health that the center educates and helps eliminate is childhood
experiences through after-school education programs that educate children on proper hygiene
and good health practices and diets. (Bélanger et al. 2016 ). Through the accessibility of health
care services and social support, better health is attained. The SWCHC helps achieve this
through programs and teachings on various chronic diseases, non-communicable diseases,
mental health, and caring for the old and frail members of the community and provision of

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readily available and affordable health care services to all members of the society despite
different incomes and social status. (Greenwood, Leeuw, Lindsay & Reading 2015).
Conclusion
Primary Healthcare is an essential part for community development and well being and
is an issue that requires maximum efforts by the general public, healthcare centers and the state
government to ensure a healthy community which in turn means an economically developed
society and thus people can afford healthy lifestyle (Hutchison 2008).
In comparison to my friend’s report on the Oceanside Health Center enhancement project
for the Primary Health Care, it is clear that many Primary health care providers and centers main
aim is community development through populace health promotion. Both the Somerset West
Community Health Care Center and the Oceanside Health Center apply the five basic principles
of health care providers to guide their everyday practices and ensure community growth. Both
health centers are accessible, promote public well being, and utilize technology and IT skills, the
involvement of the general public and inter-sectoral collaboration through partnerships with both
private and governmental institutions.

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References
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