PUGWASH, N.S. — The Pugwash and Area Community Health Board is changing its name.
To be more reflective of the entire area it serves, the board is now going to be known as the Wallace, Wentworth, Pugwash and Area CHB.
“Members of the community health board have been discussing this possibility for several years. They felt the name Pugwash and Area wasn’t inclusive enough and didn’t adequately reflect the broad community they represent,” community health boards co-ordintor Colleen Dowe said in an email.
board’s boundaries will remain the same and include the communities of Linden, Malagash, Northport, Port Howe, Pugwash, Wallace, Wentworth, and Westchester.
Wallace, Wentworth, Pugwash and Area CHB, like all CHBs, is guided by the Health Authorities Act and supported by Nova Scotia Health Authority.
“The community health boards and the Nova Scotia Health Authority are committed to a population health approach to improve the health of our communities,” Dowe said. “Population health looks at people and situations more broadly and recognizes that many factors influence our health. They are not about health care rather health promotion.”
The community health boards work with their communities and the NSHA to identify, promote and participate in health promotion initiatives. Every three years, with community input, they develop a community health plan which helps guide their work and the work of the NSHA.
The boards also advocate for healthy public policy such as smoke free spaces, having AED defibrillators in schools and support for Family First events.
Of all of the work they do, participating with the NSHA in the selection of Local Wellness Fund recipients is probably what they are best known for. Each year the CHBs give away thousands of dollars to help support local projects that make a difference in their communities.
To learn more, there will be representatives on hand at the Pugwash Farmers Market on Saturday, Aug. 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. to share information about the community health board and the work it does as well as to share information on the Wellness Fund process.
The three Cumberland County CHBs will be joining forces in September to launch a new community health plan and share information and tips on applying for Wellness Funds.
The date and location will be confirmed and shared within the next few weeks.
All three Cumberland County Community Health Boards are currently looking for new members. The CHB chairs are: Linda Cloney, SOAR; Terri Ashley, SPAR; and Judy Brogan, Wallace, Wentworth, Pugwash and Area Chair.
For more information about the boards, their meetings or to learn how you can become a member, please contact Dowe at 902-397-0376 or [email protected]
