REPORT TO COUNCIL
SPECIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
ON CULTURAL COMMUNITIES
Date: July 4, 1995.
RECOMMENDATION
1. Additional Community of Interest Health Advisory Committee
for the Gay and Lesbian Community
In November, 1991, the Royal Commission on Health Care and Costs
released its recommendations, the primary one being the regionalization
of health care. The Ministry of Health strategy provides for twenty
health regions in the Province, each with its own Regional Health Board.
The Royal Commission identified seven population groups that are
having difficulty accessing effective health services: aboriginal
people, women, children/youth, people with mental illness, people with
disabilities, the elderly and ethnic minorities.
The Special Advisory Committee on Cultural Communities discussed
community of interest advisory health committees (population groups) at
its meetings on May 3 and June 7, 1995.
On May 3, the Committee received a presentation from Ms. Simin
Tabrizi, Co-ordinator, Population Health Advisory Committees, Vancouver
Health Board, regarding health advisory committees. The question was
raised as to why gays and lesbians were not included as an advisory
health committee. Ms. Tabrizi indicated direction was taken from the
Royal Commission Report that identified the seven groups outlined above.
Public discussion will be held June/July, after which time other
advisory committees may be considered.
On June 7, 1995, Rev. Tim Stevenson, a member of the Committee,
advised he had met with individuals/organizations who identified the
health issues of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered
communities and the recognized need for an additional health care
committee. There is substantial literature that emphasizes the
importance of these people as an identifiable community.
The Special Advisory Committee on Cultural Communities recognized
the need of these communities to be included as an advisory health
committee and authorized Rev. Stevenson to meet with the Chair to
prepare a report to Council on behalf of the Committee.
Rev. Stevenson and I met several times to discuss the issue, and to
review available literature including the June, 1995, December 9
Coalition report entitled "Heterosexism is Bad for Our Health..A
critical commentary on the health concerns of the lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgendered communities" (on file in the City Clerk's Office).
The above report represents a tremendous community effort to
identify the health issues of these communities and to recognize them as
a community of interest health advisory committee. It contains
statistics that show barriers to adequate health care have resulted in a
lower health status for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered
people. The report recommends these communities be recognized as a
community of interest health advisory committee by the Vancouver
Regional Health Board. The advisory committee will advocate and be
accountable to its communities.
As public discussions are being held with respect to the
representation on various advisory health committees, it is imperative
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the request for an additional community of interest health advisory
committee be forwarded to the Ministry of Health as soon as possible.
On behalf of the Special Advisory Committee on Cultural
Communities, I hereby
RECOMMEND
THAT Vancouver City Council urge the Ministry of Health to add a
Community of Interest Health Advisory Committee for lesbians, gays,
bisexuals and transgendered people to the Vancouver Regional Health
Board.
"Eleanor Atienza"
_______________________________
Eleanor Atienza, Chair
Special Advisory Committee
on Cultural Communities.
COMMENTS FROM CITY MANAGER
Noting that Vancouver City Council has declined to accept appointments
to the Regional Health Board, Council may not wish to advise the Board
on how it structures its representation from many communities of
interest.
The City Manager puts forward an alternate recommendation:
THAT Vancouver City Council submit the concerns of the Special
Advisory Committee on Cultural Communities, by way of this report,
for consideration by the Ministry of Health.