Roundtable Discussion
Issues and Challenges with Supply and Demand of French-Language Health Services in Minority Settings
Wednesday 9th November 2022. 2:45 pm to 4:15 pm (EST)
When people working on the ground start applying the knowledge gained through research and addressing the needs of minority Francophone and Acadian communities, that’s when initiatives get started, adapted, and refined. This session is an opportunity to learn about and discuss these types of initiatives. It’s a special invitation to come (re)discover the Énoncé de position commune (position statement) put forth by the Société Santé en français and the French Language Health Networks on the active offer of healthcare services in French.
With participation from:
- Jacinthe Savard, Ph.D., Full Professor, Occupational Therapy Program, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa
- Élissa Beaulieu, Project Manager, Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS), Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne
- Diane Quintas, Executive Director, Réseau du mieux-être francophone du Nord de l’Ontario (RMEFNO)
- Jacqueline Higgins, Director, Réseau Santé en français de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador (RSFTNL)
Jacinthe Savard, PhD
Full Professor, Occupational Therapy Program, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa
An occupational therapist with a doctorate in public health, Jacinthe Savard is a full
professor with the School of Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Ottawa. Ms.
Savard is a founding member of GReFoPS (Groupe de recherche sur la formation et les
pratiques en santé et service social en contexte francophone minoritaire) and the co-
holder of the University of Ottawa/Institut du Savoir Montfort Joint Chair on the Health
of Francophones in Ontario Research Chair. Her research interests involve French-
language services primarily for seniors (access, continuity and quality of services) and
training health professionals in the active offer of French-language services.
Micheline Élissa Beaulieu
Project Manager, Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS), Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne
Élissa Beaulieu is a project manager at the national secretariat of the Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS). She has built up over 20 years’ experience working with Francophone minority communities. She worked for ten years at the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB) as a program manager. Among her accomplishments has been to update the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLBs). She also developed and delivered CLB training sessions to FSL teachers who work with immigrants. Since joining the CNFS three years ago, she has put her energies towards training in the active offer of French-language health services. Originally from Northern Ontario, she has direct experience of linguistic insecurity and has faced linguistic barriers in accessing health services in French.
Diane Quintas
Executive Director, Réseau du mieux-être francophone du Nord de l'Ontario (RMEFNO)
Since 2004, Ms. Diane Quintas has worked within the French-language health movement to improve access to health services for Francophones. She got her start as a development officer in the Northwest for the Réseau francophone de santé du Nord de l’Ontario (Réseau du Nord), and was quickly promoted to assistant director and later executive director. As executive director of the Réseau du Nord, Ms. Quintas played a key role in creating the Réseau du mieux-être francophone du Nord de l’Ontario (RMEFNO) and in getting it appointed the planning entity for Northern Ontario. Ms. Quintas currently serves as executive director of the RMEFNO, which works to improve access to healthcare services for Francophones in Northern Ontario. An active member of the Francophone community, she helps organizations that promote the French fact locally, provincially, and federally. Ms. Quintas has also worked in mental health as a psychotherapist, managing her own private practice. She holds a master’s degree in psychology and speaks French, English, and Spanish fluently. Ms. Quintas is a proud Franco-Ontarian who lives in Thunder Bay with her husband and their two children.
Jacqueline Higgins
Director, Réseau Santé en français de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador (RSFTNL)
Jacqueline Higgins is the director of the Réseau Santé en français de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador (RSFTNL). She holds a master of clinical vision science degree from the school of optometry at the Université of Montréal as well as a certified associate in project management (CAPM®) qualification. Additionally, she has led research projects and clinical trials in collaboration with Health Canada and visual readaptation centres. Ms. Higgins then got started as a clinical program manager, overseeing one of the largest private intraocular surgery programs in the country. Since 2020, she has directed the RSFTNL and has run innovative and intersectoral projects dealing with mental health, immigration, and French-language health service integration.
