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Community Connections:
East Central Health, Augustana, Edgeworth

In his report to the community in April, Dr. Roger Epp, Dean of the Augustana Campus of the University of Alberta, said he believed that Augustana was “on the brink of an amazing explosion of community service learning.”

It has been satisfying to see that prediction coming to pass. The latest of several examples was the announcement earlier this month that Dr. Tim Parker, a professor of psychology at Augustana, has been contracted by SEARCH Canada to be research development adviser (RDA) for East Central Health.

SEARCH (Swift, Efficient, Application of Research in Community Health) Canada, is a not-for-profit company. On April 1, 2005, it began operating independently, governed and funded by member organizations which included the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (MHFMR), the nine (at the time) health regions, the University of Calgary, plus some support from Alberta Health and Wellness. As self-described by SEARCH Canada, it “was created to bring research closer to practice in health care by developing people in health service and research organizations, building relationships across academic and practice sectors, and providing local research information and access.”

Dr. Parker explained that, “The ultimate goal for me as a research development adviser is to be an effective liaison between the university and the health region. ... In particular one of my roles will be to foster student opportunities for community service learning. One sector where community service learning can happen efficiently and effectively, I think, is the health sector.”

To facilitate the actual delivery of this service is the Edgeworth Centre – itself the outcome of cooperative connections involving a city, a county, a regional health authority and a university. Within Edgeworth, Augustana operates a public fitness centre and a physiology lab for teaching, research and testing. East Central Health has a Healthy Living Centre which offers consultation services with a professional, referral to a physiology lab, and further assessment and physical testing. Treatment may include a customized exercise program and/or recommendation to attend a wellness workshop.

For Augustana students, the collaboration between the university and the health authority provides opportunities for improved fitness, plus hands-on research, part-time work with health professionals, and exposure to career options. Dr. Parker noted that “If they (students) do this in a serious way and are encouraged to be reflective on how the volunteer experience is affecting them and what they are learning from it, then, under certain circumstances, they would receive university credit.”

Helping students discover the relevance of what is learned in class to making a difference for the public good in a community, or indeed anywhere in the world, is a strong motivating factor in the pursuit of continuing education.

May we value and support this particular arrangement involving East Central Health and Augustana, as well as others which provide community service learning opportunities for university students, and have the potential to serve the public good.