Women's Health Clinic Brief
To the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology

November 2001

APPENDIX

The Women's Health Clinic (WHC), located in Winnipeg, MB, serves as a 20 year old community resource to a broad range of individual women - from teens to elders, as well as to service providers and agencies in Manitoba. The Women's Health Clinic is governed by a volunteer board consisting of clients, community members and representatives of our volunteer and paid staff.

The Women's Health Clinic provides a unique form of primary health care that emphasizes health promotion, education and client empowerment. In addition, the Clinic monitors emerging issues of importance to women's health, brings together coalitions and networks for debate and discussion, encourages and sponsors research and develops policy options and innovative service approaches within a population health framework. While most Clinic services are offered in Winnipeg, clients and providers from other parts of Manitoba and Canada also seek Women's Health Clinic services and resources. The scope of Clinic policy, advocacy and networking initiatives is both provincial and national.

Women's Health Clinic staff are made up of an interdisciplinary team of health care providers who work collaboratively and include professional, paraprofessional and volunteer staff. Women's Health Clinic has current staff complement of 18.5 EFTs, which include: physicians, nurse practitioners, health educators, dietitian, midwives, counsellors, outreach volunteer coordinators, client service workers, medical assistant and administration personnel. A half time position coordinates the Advocacy and Community Outreach program.

Our program areas include reproductive and sexual health including contraception, unplanned pregnancy, free and low cost contraceptive supplies, consultation services, endometriosis, weight preoccupation and tobacco use reduction support groups, free and low cost counseling, health education programs in the community and schools, regular menopause sessions and other emerging areas of importance to women.

Some of our key programs use volunteers - including sexuality, contraceptive and unplanned pregnancy counseling and speakers in schools and the community. We believe in capacity building and support the understanding of health information and put it back into the community.

Women's Health Clinic recognizes that women's health issues have not always received the attention they deserve and require in health policies and practices, nor has the recognition of gender as a determinant of health always been acknowledged. The Clinic has been a strong advocate for this perspective and has worked with others across Canada and internationally to remedy this including efforts on Reproductive and Genetic Technologies, Health Protection Branch restructuring, Midwifery and Health Reform.

Programs and services are designed to enhance the understanding, self-care, self-help and self-advocacy abilities of the woman. This is achieved by:

• providing a wide range of accessible information and education services with a key role being played by the Clinic's Resource Centre, as well as support and training services based on adult education principles;
  
  
• facilitating the development of understanding and skills through social action groups around issues of concern to women such as breast implants, new reproductive and genetic technologies or birthing options; and
  
  
• structuring the Clinic to include involvement of community members in agency decision-making and evaluation processes.

Women's Health Clinic works to identify critical emerging health issues for women and brings together key stakeholders, such as women affected by the issue and related service providers to develop innovative policy recommendations which are responsive to women's needs and concerns. We are celebrating our 20th anniversary this year.