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Newcomer Women's Health Project

Health is an important factor in the successful settlement and integration of newcomer immigrant women.
Overview

Newcomer Immigrant Women's Health Project

In 2013-14, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training contracted the BC Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health, through a partnership with BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre, to gather evidence on the health needs and health care experiences of newcomer immigrant women in British Columbia and to develop an initiative to meet the health needs of newcomer immigrant women.

Evidence gathering

To document the health needs and health care experiences of newcomer immigrant women, we reviewed the academic and grey literature, conducted an environmental scan of current health services available to newcomer immigrant women in B.C., held consultations with health care providers and settlement agency staff, and held consultations with newcomer immigrant women in English, Mandarin, Farsi and Punjabi.

Findings

Taken together, the findings of these activities suggest that to maintain and promote the health of newcomer immigrant women in the context of their settlement process in B.C., women require social support networks among family, friends and community as well as access to appropriate formal health supports and care. Services need to be known, accessible, gender-sensitive, culturally responsive and safe.

Recommendations

Further research and continued program and policy enhancements in both the health and settlement sectors could improve the availability of services for immigrant women, increase newcomer immigrant women’s knowledge of the health care system in BC, and contribute to maintaining and enhancing the health and settlement experiences of newcomer immigrant women throughout the province.

Project team

The New Immigrant Women’s Health (NIWH) Project involved the collaboration of many people in the health and settlement sectors. 

Special thanks to Road Dog Media and Wendy D Photography for their work on the videos.

The Newcomer Immigrant Women’s Health Project was made possible through funding from the Government of Canada.

  • Ann Pederson, Project Director
  • Bryn Askwith, Project Manager
  • Mei Lan Fang, Research Associate
  • Ellexis Boyle, Research Associate
  • AJ Murray, Administrative Coordinator
  • Anna Lindsay-Baugh, Research Assistant

We gratefully acknowledge the members of the Advisory Committee for their insight and knowledge and without whom this project would have been impossible.

  • Monica Blais, Manager, Women’s Health, Healthy Development and Women’s Health Directorate; Seniors’ Health Promotion Directorate, Ministry of Health
  • Sarah Brown, Practice Development Leader, Public Health Nursing Program, Northern Health Authority
  • Sherman Chan, Director of Family and Settlement Services, MOSAIC
  • Eliza Chang, Program Director, Settlement Services, S.U.C.C.E.S.S .
  • Teresa Chiesam Director, Women’s and Maternal Health, Population Health & Well-being: Healthy Development and Women’s Health Directorate, BC Ministry of Health
  • Cheryl Davies, Vice President, Patient Care Services, BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre
  • Thea-Lynne Fiddick, Manager, Settlement and Integration Program, Immigrant Services Society of BC
  • Annette Floyd, Nurse, Bridge Clinic, Vancouver Coastal Health
  • Judi Mussenden, Manager, Public Health, Fraser Health Authority
  • Charlene Phung, Formerly Program Evaluation Analyst, Immigration Policy and Program Branch, BC Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training
  • Dora Replanski, Multicultural Health Coordinator, Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies (AMSSA)
  • Ann Saa, Settlement Counselor, Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society Prince George (IMSS)
  • Timothy Welsh, Formerly Acting Director, Sector Relations at Immigrant Integration Branch, BC Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training
  • Karen Wonders, Manager, Public Health Nursing, Northern Health Authority

Group interview participants

We would like to offer a warm thank you to the newcomer immigrant women who so generously offered their time, reflections, and personal experiences.

Consultation facilitators

  • Mojgan Radfar
  • Karin Rai
  • Agnes Yeung

Organizations supporting the recruitment of participants

  • Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies (AMSSA)
  • Bridge Clinic, Vancouver Coastal Health
  • Immigrant Services Society of BC
  • MOSAIC
  • Options Community Services Society
  • New Canadian Clinic, Fraser Health Authority
  • Newton Public Health Unit, Fraser Health Authority
  • S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

We would like to express our gratitude to the expert health and settlement service providers who graciously agreed to be interviewed for this project.

Video Working Group

  • Annie Carnot, Coordinator, Francophone Services and Special Initiatives, Provincial Language Service
  • Eliza Chang, Program Director, Settlement Services, S.U.C.C.E.S.S .
  • Nancy Clark, PhD Candidate, University of British Columbia
  • Patricia Dabiri, Manager, Multicultural Family Centre, REACH Community Health Centre
  • Annette Floyd, Nurse, Bridge Clinic, Vancouver Coastal Health
  • Charlene Phung, Formerly Program Evaluation Analyst, Immigration Policy and Program Branch, BC Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training

Organizations Supporting Onsite Filming

  • Tiffany Atkins, Communications Leader, Communications and Public Affairs, Vancouver Coastal Health
  • Donna Atkinson, Clinical Nurse Coordinator, Medical Day Unit, BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre
  • Liza Bautista, Manager, Settlement and Integration, Settlement and Integration Program, Immigrant Services Society of BC
  • Anna Bloomfield, Administrative Manager, Diagnostic and Ambulatory Programs, BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre
  • Madeline Boscoe, Executive Director, REACH Community Health Centre
  • Kelsie Carwithen, Manager, Media Relations, BC Emergency Health Services, BC Ambulance Service
  • Lynn Coolen, Program Manager, BC Women’s Health Centre, BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre
  • Kate Donegani, Media Services, Vancouver Airport Authority (YVR)
  • Julie Dong, Driver Licensing Manager, Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC)
  • Thea Fiddick, Manager, Settlement and Integration Program, Immigrant Services Society of BC
  • Terry Foster, Manager, Communications, Provincial Health Services Authority
  • Donna Haglund, Clinical Coordinator, Bridge Clinic, Vancouver Coastal Health
  • Tafline Lee, Client Service Representative, Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC)
  • Linda Morris, Director, Lower Mainland Pharmacy Services
  • Susan Rudolph, Ambulatory Pharmacy, BC Children’s and BC Women’s

Jas Bisra, I-wen Bluhm, Zara Contractor, Stephanie Fischer, Julieta Gerbrandt, Natalia Halec, Maria Niu, Tissa Rahim, Stephanie Rhone, Claire Si, Tamara Stilwell, Shabnam Ziabakhsh


Videos & Fact Sheets
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SOURCE: Newcomer Women's Health Project ( )
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