Dr. Jim Frankish’s Web Page
Important News !!!
On
September 1, 2007 the UBC Institute of Health Promotion Research (IHPR) was
formally replaced by the new Centre for Population Health Promotion Research (CPHPR).
The Centre is administratively affiliated with the Human Early Learning
Partnership (HELP) within the College for Interdisciplinary Studies at UBC. The
Centre remains located at 435-2206 East Mall, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z3,
604-822-2258, 604-822-9210, cphpr.info@ubc.ca.
Centre for Population Health Promotion Research*
A UBC nexus for research, training & capacity-building
Room 435, Library Processing
Centre, 2206 East Mall
604-822-2258, 822-9210, ihpr.info@ubc.ca
New Website Under Construction (www.cphpr.ubc.ca)
Contact Information
Dr. Jim
Frankish
Professor
& Director, Centre for Population Health Promotion Research
College for
Interdisciplinary Studies (HELP) &
Department
of Healthcare and Epidemiology Medicine, University of British Columbia
Room 425,
Library Processing Centre 2206 East Mall Vancouver BC V6T 1Z3
604‑822‑9205,
822‑9210, frankish@interchange.ubc.ca
Personal
web ‑ www.jimfrankish.com
IHPR Web
Site ‑ www.ihpr.ubc.ca
BC
Homelessness & Health Research ‑ Network www.bchhrn.ihpr.ubc.ca
BC Homelessness
Virtual Library www.hvl.ihpr.ubc.ca
Partners in
Community Health Research Training Program ‑ www.pchr.net
Last Revised April 15th 2008
Featured News Article
Home Cost
Crunch: UBC's Role? - UBC: Fueling, or solving, the problem? As real estate
inflation tears Vancouver's social fabric, what's a university to do?
By Jim Frankish, Published: April 22, 2008 in
theTyee.ca
http://thetyee.ca/Views/2008/04/22/HomeCostCrunch/
This is a plea for all Canadians to stop and
think about how we define "progress" in our cities and towns.
We are bombarded daily by the message that
social well-being is best measured by economic growth and indicators such as
housing starts. It is as if our only gauge of progress is more -- more housing
at higher prices.
And yet, we continue to create housing that
fewer people can afford. The trend should be alarming for all Canadians.
As a professor engaged in research and
teaching on health inequities, I believe the University of British Columbia and
its community provides a compelling case to study. The UBC Mission & Vision
states that we will "promote the values of a civil and sustainable
society", and acknowledge our obligations as citizens to "secure a
sustainable and equitable future for all." The current situation in
Vancouver suggests that the UBC community should greatly strengthen these
commitments, particularly when it comes to engaging the poorest and most
vulnerable.
Unreal
estate
Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation
places the average resale price in 2007 for a Vancouver home at $464,500, after
10 straight years of price escalation.
Around UBC, a million dollars has become a
low price for a home. The RealtyLink website on January 25th, 2008 in the UBC
area showed 4 houses for sale at minimum cost of $929,000 and a maximum of
$7.68 million. For 13 available townhouses, the minimum was $458,000 and the
maximum was $2.38 million. The 57 listed apartments had a minimum price of
$348,000 and a maximum of $1.87 million. For a typical mortgage (7 per cent
interest, 5 per cent down, 5 year term, 25 year amortization), the minimum household
income to purchase the average house ($3.9 million) was $1.1 million with
monthly payments of $27,000. For the least expensive apartment, the minimum
household income was just under $100,000, with monthly payments of $2,700. This
is in a neighborhood where much of the land is leased, not owned.
In 2007, public data showed that UBC had
roughly 11,748 employees. There were 12 employee groups, including union
members, faculty and administrators, and some 43,000 students.
At the above prices (with two incomes per
household), none of the almost 12,000 employees had a sufficient household
income to purchase the average listed house ($3.9 million).
Only two per cent could qualify to buy the
average townhouse ($1.2 million). Sadly, only 11 per cent could buy the average
apartment ($724,000).
Finally, UBC had just over 5,000 people in
six unionized groups. None of them could afford to buy any of the 74 properties
above.
Slamming
the gates
In sum, only 3.5 per cent of the almost
12,000 employees in Canada's third-largest university could afford to purchase
property in the "neighborhood." Appropriate/affordable housing is
even more problematic for the 43,000 UBC students who are generally younger and
less affluent.
Magnify this problem across Canada where
full-time post-secondary enrolment is expected to grow to 1.3 million in 2013.
Like many other universities, UBC can be very
proud of several recent initiatives such as Community Service-Learning and the Community
Health Initiative by University Students. To its credit, UBC has also built
small amounts of non-market and rental housing. But as some of the foremost
communities in Canadian society, our universities should be champions for
change. They should be leading the charge for affordable housing for their
staff and students, and for our most vulnerable citizens.
Given the obvious need and UBC's apparent
resources, where is the housing for single parents, immigrants/refugees, the
working poor, the homeless and low-income students in the new UBC community now
taking form on and around campus?
Big
long term costs
Our recent work (led by colleagues from SFU)
shows that the cost of providing adequate housing and support to the absolute
homeless in B.C. is $179 million. Provisions for adequate housing in the new
UBC community (and elsewhere) would reduce costs for health care, corrections,
and emergency shelters. There would be a net cost avoidance of $33 million per
year to the province of B.C.
We in the richest neighborhoods across Canada
should be doing the most, not the least in addressing inequities and improving
the 'health' of our region. Why are our poorest citizens and increasing numbers
of the middle class being priced out of home ownership in our towns and cities?
Housing (like health services) is a "social" good that is too
important to leave to the free market in Canada or elsewhere. Human well-being
is not a commodity. Canadians must move toward a more sustainable model that
adopts a "triple-bottom-line" mentality by giving equitable weight to
our economic well-being, environmental preservation, and the promotion of
social justice.
As a starting point, an immediate,
cooperative and substantive investment in affordable and non-market housing for
staff and students would go a long way toward meeting the vision statements of
universities such as UBC. Second, we must lead and foster a comprehensive
public conversation with all Canadians about the true determinants of health --
not just health care but housing, education, income, early child development,
and social relations. At present, Canadian media give inordinate coverage to
health care issues and largely ignore the 'non-medical' determinants of health.
This coverage is at odds with our research which shows that Canadians see
homelessness as an urgent social and health issue. They are eager and impatient
to have their political, academic and community leaders address the health,
social, legal and economic challenges associated with poverty in Canadian
cities.
Walk
the talk
Over the long term, universities across
Canada could readily assume a place of greater regional and national leadership
in "promoting the values of a civil and sustainable society." In
part, this can be done by educating the next generation of decision leaders on
the evidence regarding the real determinants of the health of this and future
generations. Otherwise, we are all at risk of losing key opportunities and
failing in our stated obligation to "secure a sustainable and equitable
future for all."
The world is coming to Vancouver, and Canada,
in 2010 and beyond. If we fail to change, the world will find communities that
are increasingly unaffordable, inaccessible, and unfriendly.
If so, they surely won't see any real sign of
"progress."
Dr.
Jim Frankish is chair of the Impact on Communities Coalition, a senior scholar
at the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, and professor &
director at the Centre for Population Health Promotion Research, College for
Interdisciplinary Studies, and Department of Healthcare & Epidemiology,
UBC.
Featured Report
2007.
Patterson, M., Somers, J., McIntosh, K., Shiell, A. & Frankish, J. Housing and Support for Adults with Severe
Addictions and/or Mental Illness in BC, Centre for Applied Research in
Mental Health and Addiction (CARMHA), SFU Vancouver.
index_files\HOUSING
SAMI FINAL DOCUMENT OCT 31 2007.pdf
Featured Project
We are working to create a Population Health Implementation Centre in our Downtown Eastside.
It will be home to social-enterprise activities, employment training of
at-risk & street persons, community-service learning projects, mental
health, addiction, legal & housing outreach services, food
security/nutrition initiatives, literacy and health work, arts activities
(e.g., community theatre), research, training and capacity-building around
determinants of health, the conduct and evaluation of demonstration projects,
and the creation and sharing of related resources that can be shared/adapted
across Canada (and beyond). Notions
of population health and determinants of health have gained prominence in
federal, provincial & local health policy/practice. CIHR and other funders
have identified population health interventions as a priority. There is a huge,
obvious need to address determinants of health and related inequities in one of
Canada’s poorest neighbourhoods – the Downtown Eastside. Sadly, these
inequities regularly manifest in the form of mental illness and addictions. Auspicious
circumstances exist in support of the creation of the above Centre. The WHO Commission provides a
challenge to Canada to take strong action on determinants of health. (This
would include the types of demonstration projects and ‘action’ envisaged by
your Commission). In the 2010 Olympics, the world will see our health
inequities in Vancouver. In a Mayor’s poll, Vancouverites rated "addressing
homelessness" as the #1 expected legacy of 2010. Our Province is eager to address
these concerns in lasting and innovative ways. To date, we have found a possible site for the Centre, done a building
inspection, and had very positive conversations with the Sacred Heart parish
about a low-cost, long-term lease of a vacant school property which they hold.
The school site has additional vacant space that could be developed. We have
also had positive conversations with provincial ministers regarding creation of
a ‘Healthy
Cities Investment’ that will provide an endowment to UBC from the $1B in annual
property-transfer taxes. We have suggested 1% ($10M) per year for three years
around the 2010 Games. We have strong indications of support from Stephen Owen
and others at UBC, and will arrange with students from our Sauder Business School
to create a full business plan for the Centre. Our collegial and collaborative
relations with SFU mean that the Centre can easily involve faculty and students
across universities. Our respective units and others, e.g. UBC’s Learning
Exchange already have established footprints in the community. For example, we
have street youth and UBC students (from 10 disciplines) teaching health
literacy to other street-youth. We have
applied to renew our successful, research-training program,
"Partners in Community Health Research" (PCHR: pchr.net). We are applying for a Community-University
Research Alliance (CURA) grant from SSHRC. Finally, we have developed
connections with the Downtown Eastside Revitalization Taskforce of the
Vancouver Board of Trade. These business connections will be a key to our
development of social-enterprise
activities, employment training of at-risk and street persons. Through VanCity
and other business entities, social-enterprise activities are growing in
Vancouver. The business community is also eager to support innovative 2010
legacy projects. In sum, the proposed Centre will
impact health and quality-of-life in BC’s poorest community. Our work will
improve the literacy, health literacy, and employability of persons in the
DTES. Over times the Centre and its work will help to train the next generation
of (mental) health and social science professionals. The Healthy-Cities Investment from the
Province would represent a lasting legacy of that is consistent with the Vision
for the 2010 Games. Most important, it will improve the living conditions,
(mental) health and quality-of-life of our most needy citizens. The envisioned
Centre could readily provide a long-term home for community development,
demonstration projects and community-service learning and research.
With
Thanks from Pivot Legal Society
Recent Activities &
Upcoming Activities
Courses
New Course! Spring 2008
Student Directed Seminar - Perspectives on Health – Local to Global
Coordinators:
Nadia Formigoni and Melanie Byland, Faculty
Sponsor: Dr. James Frankish, melanie.byland@gmail.com, nadiafor@interchange.ubc.ca
This course is an interdisciplinary health
seminar focusing on local, provincial, national and global health issues. Guest
lecturers will address topics such as drug addictions, urban & rural
health, Canadian health care policy and socio-economic factors in international
health. Along with the in-class course content, a community service learning
(CSL) component is included in this course. Prerequisites 3rd or 4th
year standing and a 200-word statement of interest.
Course
Dates: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4 – 5:30 pm,
January 2008.
Overview
of Course
Jan 08 Introduction
Jan 10 Drug Addictions
Jan 15 Homelessness
Jan 17 Health Psychology
Jan 22 Human Early Learning Partnership
Jan 24 Discussion of Community Health Issues
& Introduction to Provincial Health
Jan 29 Social Geographies of Health (Healthy
Communities: Act Now)
Jan 31 Urban Health
Feb 05 Rural Health
Feb 07 Topics in Youth Health
Feb 12 Preparation for Community-Service
Learning
Feb 14 Preparation and Planning for CSL
Feb 19 Reading Week – CSL Projects
Feb 21 Reading Week
Feb 26 Debriefing of CSL
Feb 28 Discussion of Provincial Health &
Introduction to National Health
Mar 04 Overview of Health Economics
Mar 06 CSL Presentations
Mar 11 Canadian Health Care Policy
Mar 13 Population health in industrialized
societies
Mar 18 Discussion of National Health Issues
& Introduction to Global Health
Mar 20 Global problems in health
Mar 25 Socio-economic factors in
international health
Mar 27 Global threats to human health
Apr 01 Cultural Differences in Health
Apr 03 Discussion of Global Health Issues
& Introduction to Connecting Themes
Apr 08 Synthesis of Course Material
Apr 10 Synthesis of Course Material
Recent Course - Health Promotion Theory & Practice – Winter
2008: Mondays, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm,
January 9 - April 2, LPC 424, 2206 East Mall. 604-822-9205 or frankish@interchange.ubc.ca e This course combines Health Care &
Epidemiology 545 & 546 (Social Science Concepts in Health Promotion). It
draws upon theories and concepts from social/behavioral sciences as applied to
health promotion and population-health research. The objective is to increase awareness
of, and skills in applying, selected social-science concepts in analysis of
health promotion problems, assessment of needs in specific populations, and
planning of programs. The course is open to Doctoral and advanced Masters-level
students in health-related disciplines. Preference is given to students Health
Care & Epidemiology.
Upcoming Course – IHHS 200 – Determinants
of Health, September 2008. Note my class section will be limited to 1st
and 2nd year students.
Note: IHHS 200
Materials are at the very end of this website. IHHS 200 will be taught by other
instructors in Fall 2007. Jim will teach in september 2008
Papers
Fielden S. Rusch M. Masinda M. Sands J. Frankish J. Evoy B. Key
considerations for logic model development in research partnerships: a Canadian
case study. Evaluation & Program Planning. 30(2):115-24, 2007 May.
Community-academic partnership research is a fairly
new genre of community-based participatory research. It has arisen in part,
from recognition of the potential role of alliances in the development and
translation of applied knowledge and the elimination of health disparities.
This paper reports on the learning process of academic and community members
who worked together in developing a logic model for a research program focusing
on partnerships with vulnerable populations. The Partners in Community Health
Research is a 6-year training program that seeks to combine research, training,
and practice through the work of its "learning clusters". As these
types of partnerships proliferate, the articulation and exploration of clear
models will assist in their implementation. The authors, coming from both
academia and community agencies, present a logic model meant to facilitate
program management. Key considerations in the model's development are discussed
in the context of an ongoing research partnership; namely, the complexity of
the research partnership, power and accountability, alignment with health
promotion policy, and the iterative nature of program design. Recommendations
challenge academics, policy-makers, service providers, and community members to
reflect on the elements needed to support and manage research partnerships and
the tools necessary to ensure continued collaboration. logicmodelsandpartners.pdf
Fielden, S. Sheckter, L. Chapman,
G., Alimenti, A., Forbes, J., Sheps, S., Cadell, S., Frankish, J. Growing up: perspectives of
children, families and service providers regarding the needs of older children
with perinatally-acquired HIV. AIDS Care. 18(8):1050-3, 2006 Nov.
Children with perinatally-acquired HIV are living into
adolescence and adulthood. As this is a relatively new phenomenon, there is a
paucity of research highlighting the complex issues that arise for these
children. This qualitative case-study examines the needs of a select group of
older children (9-16 years old) with perinatally-acquired HIV in the province
of British Columbia, Canada through focus groups and interviews conducted with
ten HIV-infected children, 11 family members and 11 service providers. The
needs of this population are diverse, reflecting its heterogeneity. However,
participants consistently highlighted issues of stigma, sexual health and
mental health as major areas of current and future concern. Continued support,
education and future planning in these areas are necessary for older
HIV-infected children as they transition out of childhood. growingupAIDS.pdf
Frankish
C.J., Moulton G.E., Quantz D., Carson A.J., Casebeer A.L., Eyles J.D., Labonte
R., Evoy B.E. Addressing the non-medical determinants of health: A survey of
Background: The Canadian health system is undergoing reform. Over the
past decade, a prominent trend has been creation of health regions. This
structural shift is concurrent with a greater emphasis on population health and
the broad determinants of health. In parallel, there is a movement toward more
intersectoral collaboration (i.e., collaboration between diverse segments of
the health system, and between the health system and other sectors of society).
The purpose of this exploratory study is to determine the self-reported level
of internal action (within regional health authorities) and intersectoral
collaboration around 10 determinants of health by regional health authorities
across
See Report
Card on the 2010 Olmypic Games Olympic report.lnk
Hospitals and Homelessness: The Experiences of Homeless
and Under-Housed Persons, Service Providers & Health Professionals & The
Emergency, Inpatient & Outpatient Profiles of Homeless and Under-Housed
Persons
This new project was
submitted to the Homelessness Knowledge Development Program (HRSDC) on behalf
of the BC Homelessness and Health Research Network. It represents a partnership
between the Lookout Emergency Aid Society, Providence Healthcare & St.
Paul’s Hospital, the Salvation Army - Vancouver, the Triage Emergency Services
& Care Society Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver Coastal Health and the
Centre for Population Health Promotion Research at UBC. Our specific objectives
are to address these research and clinical gaps by doing the following: 1)
gathering new knowledge regarding the history and experiences of contact
(emergency, hospital admissions, discharge) with St. Paul’s Hospital and Vancouver
General Hospital in homeless shelter users and other street-involved persons;
2) gathering new knowledge regarding shelter and service providers’
experience(s) of sending clients to either hospital and receiving patients back
from either hospital; 3) gathering new knowledge regarding health
professionals’ experiences of receiving and discharging patients who are
homeless or marginally housed persons; and 4) comparing patients (emergency,
medical, psychiatric, surgical) of no fixed address with shelter users via
medical chart reviews.
Public
Outreach Grant - Media as an Ally in Addressing Homelessness
A 2007 Mayor’s poll ranked the City’s top priority as homelessness (25%). The most expected legacy of the 2010 Olympics was reduced homelessness Our project will to reach out to the community (providers, NGOs, media) and build their capacity to directly engage Canadians in a public conversation regarding potential policy and program solutions that will erase homelessness and improve the quality of life, social functioning and health of persons who are marginalized. Our objectives are to conduct a participatory, community-outreach project that: a) gathers information on service providers’ experiences and capacity regarding use of media and media advocacy (MA), b) conducts a needs assessment regarding providers’ use(s) of media, c) to co-host a community forum, student seminar, pre