Once again, the Elsipogtog Health and Wellness Centre (EHWC) is pleased and excited to present this year’s Annual Report.
During the past year we continued to expand the EHWC’s programs and services. There were many highlights, and most of them are noted in the following pages. This report also shows the many services that are provided by our staff. To those staff members, I would like to express my great appreciation for their professionalism and commitment. I would also like to thank our community members and our elected leaders, Chief and Council, for your continued support.
Since the signing of the Health Services Transfer Agreement in 1994, the growth and evolution of the EHWC has been steady and strong. Over the past year the following activities stand out as examples of that growth:

New Projects, Programs and Services

• FASD Integration, working closely with Eastern Door
• Healthy Medication Use
• a Methadone Clinic

Long-Range Community Strategies

• Wellness Strategic Plan
• Youth Development Plan
• Justice Plan
• Early Childhood Development

This coming year will see us preparing for the Health Transfer Evaluation Project, which takes place every 5 years and is highlighted by a major Community Survey. In 2009-10, the findings of the Evaluation Project will serve as the foundation for an update to the Community Health Plan.

This year’s Annual Report is a transitional document that reflects some current internal adjustments as well as what we are trying to achieve in the long term. The new format is designed to complement standardized staff reporting forms and a move towards indicator-based data collection. However, it will likely take 2 years for the content to catch up to the format, as staff learn to identify indicators, develop data collection forms and collect the needed data over a full fiscal year. We are excited about the increasing quality of information and shared knowledge that this process is creating.

While these efforts are a challenge to staff and to the organization, we are optimistic that they will increase the EHWC’s capacity to deliver effective health care services. Over the long term, this will lead to improved health outcomes for community members.

Our Mission
We believe in...
the promotion and provision of wholistic health and wellness services...
responsive to our community needs...
to affirm confidence, pride and self- responsibility.

Our Vision

Vision In a healthy community...
All ages contribute in vital ways:

The community gets its...
• energy, hope and pride from its youth
• stability, strength and leadership from its adults, and
• wisdom, patience and identity from its elders.

People embrace the value of...
• family and community
• the unique contribution of every person
• a wholistic, balanced approach to health
• culture, traditions and history, and
• connections to the Creator, each other and every living thing.

Community members express themselves in healthy ways:
• by leading active, healthy lives
• with actions that express self-worth and a hope for the future
• with trust and acceptance when people need to speak, and
• by celebrating their heritage and honouring their elders.

Good things are visible:
• living spaces are safe, clean and uncrowded
• community activities are healthy, respectful and safe
• there is a good economy with meaningful employment
• gifted, inspired youth act in the present and create the future
• people have hope for the future, determination and a common purpose
• ceremonies and events celebrate a rich culture and history, and
• the facilities, land, resources and leadership are there to enable
community members to act on their desires for a healthy life.

In 1994 Elsipogtog First Nation signed a Transfer Agreement with Health Canada. This agreement enabled our community to operate a range of health services that were once delivered by Health Canada employees.

To ensure that these services were delivered professionally, the Transfer Agreement included several requirements that have to be met by Elsipogtog Health and Wellness Centre. These are outlined below.

Provide Mandatory Programs

Certain programs must be provided with the funding that is provided to the Band. These are discussed on pages 9-11, and include summary reports on immunizations and communicable disease control.

Produce an Annual Report

There are actually two reports that are required:

• one to community members outlining programs and providing statistics on usage, etc., and
• one to Health Canada showing that mandatory programs were provided properly.

Elsipogtog Health and Wellness Centre combines these two reports into this Annual Report so that community members can have access to all of the information. A separate summary report (8 pages) is also written for publication in Elsipogtogeoei, the community newspaper.

Provide an Annual Financial Audit

This has to clearly show how much funding was obtained for health services, where it came from and how it was spent. Last year, Elsipogtog Health and Wellness Centre had its eleventh consecutive balanced budget (no deficits). This has happened every year since 1994 when the HSTA was signed.

Satisfy Certain Related Requirements

In addition to the financial statements, the auditor is asked to produce a Derivative Report that indicates that certain other requirements were met. These are outlined on page 12.

Be Accountable to Community Members

There are several things that are required to ensure accountability of the Health and Wellness Centre (and the Band) to community members. Some of them (the audit and annual report) are mentioned here already. Elsipogtog Health and Wellness Centre has additional ways of ensuring accountability. These aspects are discussed on page 13.

Produce a Community Health Plan

The Community Health Plan (CHP) is a vital part of the accountability of the Health and Wellness Centre to the community. It is supposed to be updated whenever the information in it is no longer accurate or relevant. The CHP was rewritten in early 2005.

Evaluate the Transferred Programs

Every five years, in order for the HSTA to be renewed, the community must perform an evaluation of transferred services. This focuses on community satisfaction, use of services and the impact on health status. The last Transfer evaluation was in 2004.
Satisfy the Goals of the HSTA

Although it is not required as part of the HSTA, the Elsipogtog Health and Wellness Centre has made great efforts to see that it satisfies the spirit as well as the letter of the HSTA. The Health and Wellness Centre has identified nine principles of what Transfer should achieve and written these as goal statements. They are presented and rated on pages 14-15.