Equip Francophone and Francophile students with the skills needed to provide health services to Francophone communities in southern Ontario.
Language barriers have a direct impact on access and the quality of services in health care, as well as on client satisfaction and experience. Training bilingual human resources in health care is the best way to ensure the provision of effective and safe health services. At a national level, the project Franco-santé, aims at assisting Francophone and Francophile students in English post-secondary health care programs. The goal is to develop language skills to then provide French services to Francophone and Acadian communities in a minority situation.
What is our goal?
The project Franco-Santé (2020-2025) aims to identify future Francophone and Francophile health professionals within institutions, to make them aware of the importance of providing reliable and safe health services and to strengthen their skills in providing health care to Francophone and Acadian patients.
How is this done?
The project functions on several aspects, allowing students to:
- Receive health services from people who understand and want to meet their needs
- Strengthen their patient-focused health care skills
- Practise speaking French in a medical environment (medical terminology, simulated clinical situations)
- Improve their leadership
- Have access to resources and tools for developing their professional skills
- Increase their employability in a country where governments and departments value bilingual professionals
- Participate in Canada-wide and interdisciplinary networking events and groups with others studying or working within the field of health
Who does this project target?
The Franco-Santé project targets Francophone and Francophile students enrolled in a post-secondary health care program in an English-language institution, as well as academic institutions and communities.
Who are we?
Franco-santé is coordinated nationally by the Société Santé en français and is deployed in nine provinces and three territories by the French Health Networks. The project involves national partners such as the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada and many regional partners. It is funded by Health Canada as part of the Action Plan for Official Languages – 2018-2023: Investing in our future.
If you too want to benefit from the advantages offered by the Franco-santé project:
- As training institutes, by increasing your social impact among minority communities and build a positive reputation for your establishment.
- As students, by strengthening your patient-focused health care skills and by having access to resources and tools to develop your professional skills.
- As a community, by interacting with professionals who are aware of the realities and challenges of the Francophone community (particularly language barriers) and who provide an active offer in French.
Contact the French Health Network of Central Southwestern Ontario, by email at [email protected].
Learn more
Download our 2-page brochure “Franco-santé equips students to provide health services to Francophone and Acadian minority communities” in French version or English version.
For more information about the national project, visit the Société Santé en français webpage.
To find out about the various communities of practice for Francophone professionals in southern Ontario, visit the Welcoming Community webpage.
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