The GHHN had a unique opportunity to collaboratively offer drop in and barrier free health and wellness services to individuals who may not access traditional models of healthcare for the first time in August 2021 providing care to over 57 women. Our network is working together to ensure health care is accessible for all during the pandemic. Together, with partners, we will continue to offer this innovative model of care dedicated to providing safe and equitable access to women, trans, and gender diverse individuals experiencing homelessness, and are grateful to have offered services to over 200 women across 3 events.

Women’s Health Days are focused on building meaningful connections to those who are unhoused to prioritize proactive and preventative care, support, and with the intention to learn from those in accessing care. Women’s Health Days provide safe quality care, food, and giveaways with the ultimate goal of building an integrated, responsive, and equitable healthcare system.

This project will focus on understanding how the event could be updated to support the health needs of Ukrainian Refugees, women and children, coming to Hamilton in 2022.   Students will have access to the work completed by the 2SS3 students from last semester.

Community Project Champions: 

• Megan Lynch, GHHN Manager of Priority Populations
• Melissa McCallum, GHHN Director (Indirect)

The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change has identified climate change as “the greatest global health threat facing the world in the 21st century.” The healthcare sector is not only responsible for this increased health burden, but also contributes to it; about 4.6% of Canada’s national carbon emissions and over 200 000 tonnes of other pollutants are produced by the healthcare sector annually.

This Community of Practice exists to support the growth of knowledge and innovation relating to environmental sustainability in concert with improving patient care and practitioner health for local GHHN partners.

The community of practice is led my local primary care practitioners and supported by the GHHN.

Students will work closely with Dr. Myles Sergeant founder of Peach Health Ontario, a Partnership for

Environmental Action by Clinicians and Communities for Hospitals / Health care facilities, and Megan Lynch, GHHN Manager of Priority Populations.

Students will work with their CPC’s to develop a social media campaign to create awareness about the new Peach website, and support the development of the Community of Practice.

Community Project Champions: 

• Megan Lynch, GHHN Manager of Priority Populations

If you believe that what we buy, how we buy, and who we buy from impacts our environment and our society, this project might be for you.

McMaster’s department of Strategic Procurement spends a quarter of a billion dollars on goods and services each year. The department has led incredible sustainability initiatives, like working with Grand & Toy to eliminate 20,000 cardboard boxes annually in place of reusable totes and bags, and collaborations with past SUSTAIN students.

In Fall 2021, SUSTAIN 3S03 students updated McMaster’s Request for Proposal template, created an RFP Evaluation tool, and highlighted supplier and McMaster success stories (see this Daily News story about their work). Later, in Winter 2022, SUSTAIN 2SS3 students researched best practices and drafted McMaster’s first Sustainable Procurement Policy that is currently in development.

This Spring, SUSTAIN 2SS3 students will continue building on the momentum of past groups.

The goal of this project is to support McMaster’s department of Strategic Procurement in developing engaging workshops and/or other supports for members of the McMaster community to be better equipped to buy more sustainably.

Students who select this project will work directly with McMaster’s Director of Strategic Procurement to develop supports for purchasers to populate McMaster’s Sustainable Procurement webpage and help McMaster vote for sustainability through each of the millions of dollars it directs each year.

Community Project Champion(s):

• Angelo DiLettera, Director Strategic Procurement, Financial Affairs, McMaster University
• Tracie Felton, Manager Financial Affairs
• Helena Teng, Project Coordinator, Academic Sustainability Programs Office