Case Example

This case example describes the challenges that exist for collaboration when there is limited funding at the provincial or territorial level.

An urban street outreach program focuses on those who live on or close to the street. A coalition of community organizations supported this population with integrated public health and primary care services. Funding is obtained piecemeal through different sources of money and by applying for grants. There is no regionally or provincially sustained stable funding.

Public health and primary care providers find time in their jobs to contribute to a common goal. In this case, it is reaching out to provide services based on the need of their community needs.

A manager and public health nurse discuss the issues:

Public health nurse: One of the things that has facilitated the collaboration, and I would say it’s true for most of our successful collaborations in public health, is that we come to the table to have the conversation around need. Often, it’s an in-kind contribution with no budgetary support.

Manager: We ask ourselves, “What can we contribute from our time?” And then we’ll just do that. For example, treatment for a sexually transmitted infection. If public health has to pay for it, we pay for it. Over the past 2 years, this is what has happened. There’s no provincial budget for that. The costs have escalated.

Public health nurse: At some point we want to be able to bring that back to the provincial policy table and say look, we have to start funding this because this is a need around payment for drugs for the treatment of sexually transmitted infections.

Manager: Unfortunately, there are no systems in place right now, let alone the time to put systems in place to really do anything. Sustained funding for this kind of collaboration is an issue.

Click to hear their conversation.