Heather Crowe Award

MCGUINTY GOVERNMENT Honours Simcoe Muskoka Health Unit
With Award

BARRIE – Health Promotion Minister Jim Watson today presented the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit with a Heather Crowe Award for helping the province dramatically reduce smoking rates .

“Our government is on the side of Ontario families who want the best health care ,” said Watson, speaking at the offices of the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. “With the help of partners like the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, we are helping the residents of Ontario live healthier, more active lives.”

The government created the Heather Crowe Award to honour the leadership and commitment of tobacco control activist Heather Crowe, who fought to improve the health of Ontarians by eliminating second-hand smoke in the workplace and in enclosed public places.

“I want to recognize the staff of the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit for their commitment and professionalism in protecting our residents and visitors from second-hand smoke, helping to prevent strokes, cancer and heart attacks,” said Dr. Charles Gardner, Simcoe Muskoka’s Medical Officer of Health. “I also wish to congratulate the Province for its leadership in implementing the Smoke-Free Ontario Act which supports our work." 

"The board of health benefited from the courageous stand by municipalities in Muskoka and Simcoe in creating smoke-free bylaws, and the Heather Crowe Award, while it is presented to the health unit, is also a tribute to the local advocates who care about the health of their community," said board of health chairman Dennis Roughley.

Smoking kills an average of 16,000 people in Ontario each year. Tobacco-related diseases cost the Ontario health care system at least $1.7 billion a year, result in more than $2.6 billion in productivity losses, and account for at least 500,000 hospital days each year.

In 2006, Simcoe Muskoka received $1,064,649 in funding for the Smoke-Free Ontario Strategy —a 38.9 per cent increase over the previous year. This provincial funding is used to help prevent young people from smoking, enforce regulations that eliminate smoking in the workplace, and help smokers quit. This investment will help the government reduce tobacco consumption by 20 per cent from 2003 levels.

Ontario ’s tobacco consumption has fallen by 18.7 per cent or more than 2.6 billion cigarettes since 2003. During that time, the government has increased its investments in tobacco control six-fold to a total of $60 million, including a $10 million increase in 2006 over the previous year.

Healthy Workplace—Health Unit Wins Gold

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit picked up a gold award recently at the Simcoe County Workplace Wellness Network first annual 2006 Healthy Workplace Awards. The gold award, given to the health unit in recognition of its efforts in promoting physical activity, healthy eating and stress management, was presented by Dr. Laura Crook (far right) of the awards review panel to workplace wellness committee members (LtoR) Kathy Dermott, Betty Robitaille and Brenda Hadley.

Some of the activities the health unit introduced to staff in 2006 included Lunch and Learns on parenting subjects and reading food labels, a winter challenge to keep staff active during the cold months and an edible adventure launched during Nutrition Month. The Simcoe County Workplace Wellness Network consists of workplaces across Simcoe County and the District of Muskoka. Its goal is to provide a forum for the sharing of resources and support educational opportunities for workplaces interested in workplace health.

Award winning partnerships

Simcoe County District Health Unit has been awarded the OCCHA Seal of Excellence in recognition of our commitment to continuous quality improvement.

The Ontario Council on Community Health Accreditation provides an independent, voluntary, peer evaluation of the administrative and operational aspects of local public health agencies. The seal of excellence is awarded to public health agencies with five (5) or more continuous years of accredited status.

Accredited since 1998, the Simcoe County District Health Unit has participated in two OCCHA surveys. Most recently, the agency's superior planning and operating standards and their impact on public health in the county earned the health unit a four-year award. Four years is the highest possible rating awarded and it is reserved for public health units that not only deliver excellent programs and services, but deliver them efficiently and cost-effectively.

In its report to the Board of Health, OCCHA commended Board members on their knowledge and commitment to public health issues, and their relationship with their constituent municipalities. The efforts across the agency to provide accurate information in a timely manner and to use technology to effectively consolidate and share information were also acknowledged as were the profile of public health in the community and the supportive way in which staff work with community partners.