Invitation to: Environmental Health Community Meeting

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 16:03:54 -0300 (ADT)
From: "David M. Wimberly" <ag487@chebucto.ns.ca>
To: Sustainable-Maritimes <sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca>
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <sust-mar-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>

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Please put this on your calendar now and be certain to attend.  Please 
distribute this invitation where ever you think it would be of interest.  
The meeting is open and all are invited.  This has the potential to be 
very important and beneficial.

We very much want persons from the general environmental activist 
community to participate, so please make plans now to come.

Who would you like to see on these groups?  So be certain they come with 
you and volunteer!

Thank you,
David Wimberly

***************************************************************************

Environmental Health Community Meeting

Wednesday, June 24, 9:30 am  12:00 pm

Veith House, 3115 Veith St., Halifax

Facilitator:  Michael Marentette, MSW, RSW


Agenda:

1)  Discussion and endorsement of proposal from the Partnering Working 
Group for a new NSEHC Community Advisory Committee and for an 
Environmental Health Task Force: to research, design and help implement 
"a strategy for the management of EI/MCS/ES in our society"

2)  Selection of six people from the interested general community to the 
NSEHC Community Advisory Committee

3)  Establish the initial group of members of the Environmental Health 
Task Force


Organized by the Partnering Working Group in cooperation with the Nova 
Scotia Environmental Health Centre

**************************************************************************
==========================================================================

Partnering Working Group
C/o Nova Scotia Environmental Health Centre
P.O. Box 2130
Fall River, Nova Scotia B2T 1K6

May 30, 1998

Dear patient/environmental health group/other interested groups or 
individuals:

You may be aware of the "Partnering Process", a series of meetings that 
began in February to address concerns expressed by some patients with the 
Nova Scotia Environmental Health Centre.  This process included patients, 
interested parties, and the Centre's and Research Directors.  It was 
facilitated by Michael Marentette, MSW, RSW.

At its last meeting, May 25, a plan received consensus approval as a way 
to address these concerns (see enclosed notes).  The NSEHC and the 
Faculty of Medicine are committed to working closely with the community 
as active partners in this plan.

In creating this plan, the partnering group accepted the following:

	1)  That there clearly are problems and deficiencies in the care 
and treatment of EI/MCS/ES that show there needs to be a broader 
mechanism wherein the needs and goals of all parties can be met.
	
	2)  That the NSEHC's current mandate is defined by contractual 
agreement between the Department of Health and Dalhousie University as a 
research facility.  This means all treatments offered must be part of a 
research protocol.  The mandate of the Centre, therefore, is not 
necessarily compatible with the varied and immediate needs of patients 
and others.  This series of meetings has provided the opportunity to 
better understand the mandate of the NSEHC and has helped to define a 
more appropriate level of expectation for care and treatment at the NSEHC.
	
	3)  The Centre would benefit from having a strong 
patient/community based Community Advisory Committee, to provide input on 
policy and research programs.  A strong Community Advisory Committee that 
ensures the NSEHC is responding to patient needs will also be in a 
position to promote the Centre and secure funding for its participation 
in a broader mandate.
	
	4)  A broader-based organization with representation from patient 
groups, the NSEHC, stakeholder groups, environmental groups, unions, 
etc., must be carefully developed.
	
The current structure of the NSEHC Steering Committee is being reviewed.  
We are proposing a new Community Advisory Committee composed as outlined 
(see attached notes).  This outline is waiting for endorsement by the 
Faculty of Medicine.  In the meantime, we are planning a nomination 
process for the six community members to take place on June 24.  All 
persons attending the June 24 meeting will have on vote.  There will be 
no proxies.

We are also proposing a broadly based group, called the Environmental 
Health Task Force, to research, design, and help implement "a strategy 
for the management of EI/MCS/ES in our society".  This strategy could 
include, for example, developing a process for the province to provide a 
broad range of environmental treatments, to fund education of family 
physicians, to proved urgent/emergency care, to work on pesticides, 
occupational health and safety, schools, housing, and other important issues.

Once it is well established, the new Environmental Health Task Force will 
appoint the six community members to the Community Advisory Committee in 
the future, to maintain a strong link between the two groups.

This phase of the partnering process has reached its conclusion.  We are 
proposing a plan which, along with the cooperation and goodwill of all 
parties, offers the best hope for achieving all of our goals for 
environmental health and patient care in Nova Scotia.

We present this plan to you and ask for you or your group's support by 
attending the Community Meeting, June 24.

If you cannot attend the meeting but are interested in being a nominee 
for the Community Advisory Committee or would like to volunteer for the 
Task Force, please indicate your interest in writing and give it to 
someone who will be attending.

For more information, please contact one of the people below.

Note:  Due to the budgetary restraints, this is a limited mailing.  If 
you know of anyone who may be interested, please pass the information on.

Respectfully,


David Wimberly  876-7846,  FAX 826-1369,  email ag487@chebucto.ns.ca
Theresa Thomas  475-1500,  FAX (phone first),  email as838@chebucto.ns.ca



Encl/  meeting notice, proposal notes, proposal outline

(Please e-mail me at ag487@chebucto.ns.ca for the enclosures)

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