Themes:

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

One of the essential principles of primary health care as set out in the World Health Organization’s Declaration of Alma-Ata is health promotion and chronic disease prevention and management. Health promotion and disease prevention can be suppored through population-based interventions, including action to address social determinants and health inequity.

References: World Health Association "http://www.emro.who.int/about-who/public-health-functions/health-promoti..." and the Canadian Nurses Association "https://www.cna-aiic.ca/~/media/cna/page-content/pdf-en/primary-health-c..."

Research Funding

The Aging, Community and Health Research Unit (ACHRU) Community Partnership Program for Diabetes Self-Management for Older Adults - Canada.

Purpose: To further test the Aging, Community and Health Research Unit (ACHRU) - Community Partnership Program (CPP) in diverse primary care and community settings, with diverse populations and across...

 Active

 2018-2023

Co-Primary Investigator

Primary Health Care as the Foundation for Health System Performance, Integration and Sustainability: INSPIRE-PHC-2 - Building Primary Health Care and Public Health Collaboration with and for the Community

A prospective case study design will be used to explore the implementation and outcomes of an intervention to stimulate a primary care and public health collaboration in an urban neighbourhood in...

 Active

 2018-2020

Primary Investigator

Contributing to, and Learning from, the Lives of Older Adults: Practical learning experiences in the care of older adults as trained community volunteers for health care

Health TAPESTRY (Health Teams Advancing Patient Experience: Strengthening Quality) is a community-based approach, centered in primary care, which aims to promote optimal aging through four...

 Active

 2016-2017

Co-Primary Investigator

Building Primary Health Care Nursing Leadership to Enhance Collaboration between Primary Health Care and Public Health

The objectives of this four and a half year program of research were to: explore structures and processes required to build successful collaborations between PC and PH; understand the nature of...

 Completed

 2008-2012

Primary Investigator

Home & Community Care with a focus on transitions between institutional and community care settings. Ontario SPOR Support Unit – IMPACT Award Home & Community Care

This is a pragmatic effectiveness-implementation trial to evaluate a hospital-to-home transitional care intervention compared to usual care for older adults with multiple chronic conditions and...

 Active

 Feb. 1, 2016- Sept. 30, 2016

Co-Investigator

Scholarly Work

Deputy Director, World health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre (McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario) for Primary Care and Health Human Resource

Since 2009, Dr. Ruta Valaitis has been a Deputy Director, World health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre (McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario) for Primary Care and Health Human Resources. Dr. Valaitis was elected Secretary to the Pan American Nursing and Midwifery Collaborating Centres Network (PANNMCC) and served in that role from 2011 to 2013.

 Active

Committees

Health in the Hubs

The McMaster University School of Nursing (SON) is dedicated to improving the health of residents in our local communities and fulfilling the School’s mission of community engaged scholarship.

 Active

Projects

PANMCC Webinar Series

WHO Collaborating Centers are designated by the Director-General, WHO, as part of an inter-institutional collaborative network of centers worldwide. They are established to provide concrete activities at the national, regional, and global levels, in support of the strategic plans of specific WHO areas of work.

 Active

Projects

A Canadian application of EUGENIE – a web-based application to support high older adult users of emergency rooms to access community health and social services assisted by trained primary health care volunteers

EU-GENIE is an online tool that volunteers can use with clients. It can help them describe their support network and can link them to relevant local community resources that are tailored to the interests of the client.

 Completed

Projects

A Content Analysis of Infant Feeding Messages in Canadian Women’s Magazine, 1945 to 1995

The purpose of this study was to describe trends in the number, types, and themes of infant feeding messages presented in a nationally distributed (monthly) Canadian women's magazine from 1945 to 1995.

 Completed

Articles

A Protocol for a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial Using the Health Teams Advancing Patient Experience: Strengthening Quality (Health TAPESTRY) Platform Approach to Promote Person-centred Primary Health Care for Older Adults

The objective of this study is to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the Health Teams Advancing Patient Experience: Strengthening Quality (Health TAPESTRY) approach in older adults.

 Completed

Articles

A Systematic Review of the Association Between Breastfeeding and Early Childhood Caries

This systematic review investigated the relationship between early childhood caries (ECC) and breastfeeding.

 Completed

Articles

Advancing a Pan-Canadian Primary Care Framework: Optimizing the Role of Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners: Final Report

A technical report commissioned by the Canadian Nurses Association, 1-116, 2014. This report summarizes the issues and policy options and will inform CNA’s future role and strategies for advancing a pan-Canadian primary care framework that optimizes the role of registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice nurses in primary care interprofessional teams.

 Completed

Reports

Affiliate Network Member, Primary Health Care System (PHCS)

In 2010 -2015, Dr. Ruta Valaitis became an Affiliate Network Member, Primary Health Care System (PHCS).

 Completed

Committees

An Environmental Scan of Primary Care and Public Health in the Province of British Columbia

This report describes an environmental scan that was completed in May 2009 of primary care and public health in the province of British Columbia (BC) as one of a series of steps in a larger program of research: Strengthening Primary Health Care through Primary Care and Public Health Collaboration Study (Strengthening PHC Study).

 Completed

Reports

An Environmental Scan of Primary Care and Public Health in the Province of Nova Scotia

This report describes an environmental scan that was completed in July 2009 of primary care and public health in the province of Nova Scotia (NS) as one of a series of steps in a larger program of research: Strengthening Primary Health Care through Primary Care and Public Health Collaboration Study (Strengthening PHC Study).

 Completed

Reports

An Environmental Scan of Primary Care and Public Health in the Province of Ontario

This report describes an environmental scan, which includes information up to May 2009, related to primary care (PC) and public health (PH) in the province of Ontario (ON). It is one of a series of steps in a larger program of research entitled: Strengthening Primary Health Care through Primary Care and Public Health Collaboration Study (Strengthening PHC Study).

 Completed

Reports

An Online Toolkit to Support Public Health and Primary Care Collaboration

The aim of this toolkit is to develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes that support the development and maintenance of successful collaborations between primary care and public health. This toolkit is for practitioners, managers, policy makers, and students from a variety of disciplines working in primary care and public health.

 Completed

Projects

Built Environment Interventions Aimed at Improving Physical Activity Levels in Rural Ontario Health Units: A Descriptive Qualitative Study

Few studies to date have explored the relationship between the built environment and physical activity specifically in rural settings. This paper is the result of a Masters thesis project that focused on rural health units' activities to address the built environment aimed at improving physical activity.

 Completed

Articles

Computers and the Internet: Tools for youth empowerment

Youth are often disenfranchised in their communities and may feel they have little voice. Since computers are an important aspect of youth culture, they may offer solutions to increasing youth participation in communities. This study involved public health nurses to support the school-based community development project.

 Completed

Articles

Designing, Implementing and Evaluating Mobile Health Technologies for Managing Chronic Conditions in Older Adults: A scoping review

The purpose of this study was to conduct a scoping review of current practices and recommendations for designing, implementing, and evaluating mHealth technologies to support the management of chronic conditions in community-dwelling older adults.

 Completed

Articles

Electronic Social Support Groups to Improve Health

This review sought to answer the question: what is the use, nature and impact of electronic support groups in the prevention and promotion of health?

 Completed

Reports

Evaluation of the Spark Health Promotion Web Site

Tailoring Online Health Promotion: A Toolkit for Communities has been produced to share our learning and experiences in working to build a health promotion web site (www.youthspark.ca) to meet local needs by and for rural youth in Huron County, Ontario Canada.

 Completed

Reports

Exploration of volunteers as health connectors within a multicomponent primary care‐based program supporting self‐management of diabetes and hypertension

This study describes the effectiveness, feasibility and effects of a volunteer program evaluation framework in primary care.

 Completed

Articles

How the rural context influences social capital: Experiences in two Ontario communities

Social capital has shown potential for its ability to improve physical and mental health, although findings about social capital’s impact in rural areas have been less promising. The aim of this study was to shed light on how adults in two small towns of rural Ontario experience social capital in their daily lives, and to contribute to the broader literature about the relationship between social capital and rural health.

 Completed

Articles

Immunization Competencies for Health Professionals

Prepared by the Professional Education Working Group of the Canadian Immunization Committee, Public Health Agency of Canada. The aim of this handbook is to promote safe and competent practices to achieve higher vaccine coverage rates. This effort will enable and maintain the highest possible degree of community protection against vaccine-preventable diseases.

 Completed

Reports

Invited member of Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-term Care’s Primary Care Advisory Group- providing advice on primary care reform for Ontario

Dr. Ruta Valaitis was an invited member of Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-term Care’s Primary Care Advisory Group providing advice on primary care reform for Ontario.

 Completed

Committees

Invited Member of the E-Health Steering Committee for the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Norfolk Local Health Integrated Network (LHIN 4)

During 2005 - 2006, Dr. Ruta Valaitis served as an invited member of the E-Health Steering Committee for the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Norfolk Local Health Integrated Network (LHIN 4).

 Completed

Committees

Invited Member of the MOHLTC Family Health Team Action Group Sub-committee on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

During 2006 - 2007, Dr. Ruta Valaitis served as an invited member of the Ministry of health and Long Term care (MOHLTC) Family Health Team (FHT) Action Group Sub-committee on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP).

 Completed

Committees

Invited Member of the Working Group for the Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-term Care Primary Health Care Planning Group: Working Group 2: Strengthening Primary Care Access

Invited Working Group Member: Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-term Care Primary Health Care Planning Group: Working Group 2: Strengthening Primary Care Access. The report was completed August 2011.

 Completed

Committees

Invited Member: Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) Reference Group on Primary Health Care

Invited Member: Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) Reference Group on Primary Health Care (2011-2014)

 Completed

Committees

Member of the Working Group: Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC): Professional Education Working Group- Vaccine Prevention

From 2006 - 2009, Dr. Ruta Valaits was a member of the Working Group: Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC): Professional Education Working Group- Vaccine Prevention

 Completed

Committees

Modifiable factors related to life-space mobility in community-dwelling older adults: results from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

The aim of this study was to determine the association between modifiable factors and life-space mobility in older adults enrolled in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA).

 Completed

Articles

Online Discussions with Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents: Perspectives and possibilities

The Internet is an innovative strategy to increase public participation. It is important to include pregnant and parenting teens' perspectives when planning programs to meet their needs. This qualitative study explored online discussions as a strategy to enhance participation by this population.

 Completed

Articles

Patient Care Groups: A new model of population based primary health care for Ontario

A report on behalf of the Primary Health Care Expert Advisory Committee. In late 2013 the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (the “ministry”) convened the Expert Advisory Committee on Strengthening Primary Health Care in Ontario to address current challenges in Ontario’s primary care system. The ministry identified four policy questions of particular interest which are addressed in this report, May 2015.

 Completed

Reports

Primary Health Care and Nursing Education in the 21st Century: A discussion paper

Report to the WHO, Series Number 16, March 2009. Primary health care (PHC) is a philosophy and an educational practice approach. Nursing is one of the key services for the delivery of PHC. The purpose of this background paper is to examine PHC education for nurses in the globalized world.

 Completed

Reports

Protocol for a program of research from the Aging, Community and Health Research Unit: Promoting optimal aging at home for older adults with multimorbidity

The goal of the Aging, Community and Health Research Unit (ACHRU) is to promote optimal aging at home for older adults with multimorbidity (≥2 chronic conditions) and to support their family/friend caregivers. This protocol paper reports the rationale and plan for this patient-oriented, cross-jurisdictional research program.

 Completed

Articles

Smoke-Free Ontario Scientific Committee Working Group to establish Best Practices at Public Health Ontario

The Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion’s (MHP) goal is to improve the health and well-being of Ontarians and to help contribute to the sustainability of our publicly funded health care system. MHP is moving forward to achieve its vision of “healthy communities working together and Ontarians leading healthy and active lives.” MHP will achieve this vision by focusing on several core goals and priorities including the Smoke-Free Ontario Strategy.

 Completed

Committees

Social Capital and Self-Rated Health: A Cross-Sectional Study of the General Social Survey Data Comparing Rural and Urban Adults in Ontario

This paper reports on the quantitative phase of a sequential explanatory mixed methods study using data from Canada's 2013 General Social Survey (data collected 2013–14) to explore mechanisms that link social capital and health..

 Completed

Articles

Stop, Look and Listen: An interactive guide to working with communities

This was a CD-ROM program designed to teach community health nursing students and other professionals about the process of community action. It focused on the principles of primary health care, community assessment and community development. Child pedestrian injury prevention was the main issue addressed in this programme

 Completed

Projects

Street Smarts ↔ Book Smarts: Three Neighborhoods and One University School of Nursing Partnering for Health

This article describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of an interdisciplinary undergraduate course embedded within a campus–community partnership initiative involving McMaster University School of Nursing, and three urban priority neighborhoods in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The experiential course focuses on building knowledge and skills in community participation and community improvements for health and continues to be offered today. This primary health care collaboration between the campus and three Hamilton neighbourhoods was led by Dr. Valaitis and supported by the Health in the Hubs team.

 Completed

Articles

Strengthening Primary Health Care Through Public Health and Primary Care Collaboration: Final Report

Final Report to Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF), 2012. ISBN 978-1-927565-02-5.

 Completed

Reports

Tailoring Online Health Promotion

Tailoring Online Health Promotion: A Toolkit for Communities has been produced to share our learning and experiences in working to build a health promotion web site (www.youthspark.ca) to meet local needs by and for rural youth in Huron County, Ontario Canada. The Toolkit is loosely organized according to the phases of project development that we experienced in the YouthSpark project.

 Completed

Projects

Tailoring Online Health Promotion: A Toolkit for Communities

Tailoring Online Health Promotion: A Toolkit for Communities: This toolkit was produced based on our experience and evaluation of working with public health staff and youth in a rural community to build a health promotion website for youth by youth.

 Completed

Projects

Tailoring Online Health Promotion: A Toolkit for Communities

Tailoring Online Health Promotion: A Toolkit for Communities has been produced to share our learning and experiences in working to build a health promotion web site (www.youthspark.ca) to meet local needs by and for rural youth in Huron County, Ontario Canada. The Toolkit is loosely organized according to the phases of project development that we experienced in the YouthSpark project.

 Completed

Reports

Technology to Encourage the Adoption of Health Promoting/Protecting Behaviours: A Comprehensive Literature Review

A technical report commissioned by the Public Health Agency of Canada to inform the 2014 Chief Public Health Officer’s (CPHO) Report on the State of Public Health in Canada.

 Completed

Reports

Women’s Experiences Breastfeeding in Public Places

This two-part field study compared researchers’ recorded observations to mothers’ perceptions of attention they received while publicly breastfeeding.

 Completed

Articles

Students

Picture Name Degree Ruta's Role Thesis Topic More Info
Dr. Rebecca Ganann Dr. Rebecca Ganann Post-Doctoral Fellow Co-Supervisor Integrated knowledge exchange with knowledge users in community-based interventions involving extensive patient and caregiver engagement in the community More Info.
Danielle Hunter Danielle Hunter MS eHealth Graduate Program Student Advisor An examination of the impact of e-Health on health equity among marginalized populations More Info.
Leena Wu Chau  Leena Wu Chau MSc Co-Supervisor Primary care and public health collaboration: A population health approach in the delivery of mental health care More Info.
Rachael Haalboom Rachael Haalboom MScN Supervisor Implementation of public health vision screening follow up programs in schools More Info.
Jennifer Nicholl Jennifer Nicholl MScN Supervisor Community Nurse Networker: A Priority Neighbourhood Pilot Project More Info.
Rebecca Spark Rebecca Spark MScN Supervisor An exploration of experiences of academics and decision-makers in a collaborative program of research More Info.
Maneet Chahal Maneet Chahal MScN Supervisory Committee Member Access to mental health services for the South Asian population in Peel Region More Info.
Janice Feather Janice Feather MScN Supervisory Committee Member A Narrative Exploration of a Nurse Navigator Role in Primary Care More Info.
Kenneth Nwosu Kenneth Nwosu MS eHealth Supervisory Committee Member Design and Evaluation of a Two Way Interactive Video eConsult System (TWIVES): A Web-Based Care and Continuity Solution Enabling Secure and Private Patient-Provider Connections When Mobility is Limited or Commuting is Not an Option More Info.
Sandra Isaacs Sandra Isaacs PhD Supervisor How community-based services work together to address the primary health care needs of recent immigrant children More Info.
Ellen Buck-McFadyen Ellen Buck-McFadyen PhD Supervisor Social Capital in Rural Communities More Info.
Linda Brousseau Linda Brousseau PhD Supervisor Implementation of models of sexual health programs in public health More Info.
Tracey Lovett Tracey Lovett MScN Supervisory Committee Member Exploring structures and processes that support collaborative practice amongst community health nurses who work with breastfeeding families More Info.
Beth Potter Beth Potter MSc Supervisory Committee Member Breastfeeding in Public Places More Info.