Town halls this week to hear from residents about local/regional healthcare experiences
Healthcare is the focus of a series of town hall meetings this week across the Rainy River District.
The Rainy River District Ontario Health Team is using information gathered to identify common themes, local priorities and opportunities for improvement.
Sessions are taking place in Atikokan, Fort Frances, Emo and Rainy River.
“Numbers can help us understand the scale of an issue, but they don’t always tell us what that
experience means for the person living it. Stories bring the data to life,” states Amanda Roy, the Health Team’s communications lead.
“These Town Halls are about listening to what people want to share, understanding what’s working, where people are facing challenges and what could make a difference in the future. Every experience adds something valuable, and the more people who participate, the clearer our understanding of local health-care needs becomes.”
The Health Team is using an independent third-party consulting firm to oversee the town hall sessions.
They have also been set to allow participants to have meaningful, personal conversations instead of making a formal presentation.
The town halls coincide with a campaign that kicked off earlier this month with a district-wide survey that will continue until November 20th.
Together, the information will help in the development of long-range planning and advocacy.
The town halls will happen in Atikokan at the Atikokan Legion on Tuesday, October 20th from 3-5 p.m.
In Fort Frances, it will happen at the Memorial Sports Centre from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 21st.
Because of issues with the elevator, the Health Team has made arrangements to use the Shaw Room at the Fort Frances Public Library for those with mobility issues or who are not comfortable climbing stairs.
The sessions move to Emo on Thursday, October 22nd, at the Emo Inn from 3-5 p.m.
The final one takes place in Rainy River on Friday, October 24, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Rainy River Rec Centre Hall.
For more information about the Community Town Halls or to complete the survey, click here.