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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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