Kingston and Greenwood residents encouraged to fill out health survey

The deadline is quickly approaching for a survey that will play a critical role in the development of a new Collaborative Community Health Plan.

Community health boards are in the process of circulating surveys that will help health officials gain a better understanding of most pressing issues impacting residents of various local communities.

“Anonymous and honest completion of this survey will help to identify the factors that affect the health of our community members and the health of the broader community,” said Pat Nixon, a spokesperson for the community health board serving Kingston and Greenwood.

“In other words, we want to know what prevents you from being the healthiest you can be. It will also give us an indication of what prevents residents, their families, and the community from living healthy lives.”

The 11 community health boards serving the western zone will work together to develop a Collaborative Health Care Plan set to take effect in 2019. The feedback will be shared with the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA).

“We are a group of volunteers from the local community who have a common interest in improving the health of the community in which we live,” said Nixon.

“We advocate for healthy public policy at all levels of government. This contributes to the health-system accountability by facilitating an exchange of information and feedback between the community and the NSHA.”

The “Your Voice for a Healthy Community” survey is available here: https://www. engage4health.ca/yourhealthourcommunity

Completed surveys can be dropped off at the Needs store in Kingston by Nov. 30. There will be an envelope marked “health survey” on site.

SUBMITTED Kingston Greenwood Community Health Board co-chair Lane Myers, KGCHB co-ordinator Genevieve Lefebvre, and health board member Pat Nixon recently visited the Greenwood Mall to promote the survey available to the public until Nov. 30.