Travelling for health? Patient Navigator program helps anglophones in Quebec City

Quebecers living in northern and remote parts of the province often must travel to bigger centres for medical care. Many from the eastern region of Quebec go to Quebec City. For anglophones from these communities, it can be a scary and lonely experience.

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“When you’re sick, you’re sick in English; I’m not sick in French,” said Jody Lessard, executive director of the North Shore Community Association.

Lessard wasn’t always comfortable in French. She said that even now, she prefers to seek medical care in her mother tongue. That’s why the Baie-Comeau resident has been involved in a multi-community effort to provide services for anglophones from the north shore who need to travel for major health treatments.

“You’re alone, you don’t speak any French, or if you do speak French, you’re very limited. It’s an emotional time,” she said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "You're alone, you don't speak any French, or if you do speak French, you're very limited. It's an emotional time," she said.

“The communities approached us. They came to us and said, ‘We have this problem. We have people who are ending up in Quebec City and they’re lost,” said Jennifer Johnson, executive director of the Quebec Community Health and Social Services Foundation (QCHF).

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In April, the QCHF launched the Patient Navigator program. Steve Guimond has that position — he’s reachable by phone or through the website to answer a variety of needs.

“‘I’ve never been to the city before, can you suggest a place to stay?'” Guimond gives as an example of the requests he receives. “‘I’ve never been to Quebec City or this particular hospital, I’m a little overwhelmed given the situation that I’m in, can you just meet me?’ As simple as that.”

He also works to make sure documents and consent forms are in English.

4:07 Kathleen Weil on her trip to the Magdalen Islands

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“What’s arranged for them is their flights, so they have to take care of everything else, so find a place to stay,” he explained.

The stress is even worse when a child is involved. One of the first patients Guimond helped was a young girl from the Magdalen Islands who was brought to Quebec City by air ambulance.

“Her parents couldn’t get on the flight, so they wanted me to just go to the hospital and just be there when she arrived. And just keep them posted because they were only arriving four or five hours later,” Guimond said.

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For now, the Patient Navigator is a three-year pilot project. Johnson is still looking for long-term funding through foundations and the newly-formed English secretariat.

“We have a higher population of seniors and it’s going to be increasing in the years to come,” Lessard said. “So yes, something that’s very much needed.”