Today is Community Health Representative (CHR) Day and we would like to celebrate the great work that our CHR’s do in communities across the NWT. CHR’s have a critical role between the community they serve and the NTHSSA as they ensure that individuals are able to access the education and programming needed for their overall health and well-being.

In June, all Community Health Representatives were invited to come together for a 2-day Cancer Care conference organized by the NTHSSA Cancer Care team and funded by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. 17 CHR’s were able to attend the conference in Yellowknife in-person, with 3 additional CHR’s able to join the conference virtually.

The two day workshop was intended to support the CHR’s in their role specific to health promotion and disease prevention as key members of the health care team in the communities. Education, tools and resources specific to the benefits of screening and early cancer detection, smoking cessation and practicing self-care were highlighted along with special presentations from guests including the NWT Breast Health/Breast Cancer Action Group, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, sharing of patient experiences by those impacted by cancer, and a presentation about the University of Alberta’s EXCEL program.

CHR’s are our community connectors and the bringing together of the CHR’s allowed for the creation of a collaborative space to share community successes and lessons learned. The support that the CHR’s lend to promoting programming and engaging the community to promote healthier lifestyles is invaluable and greatly appreciated. Thank you CHR’s!