Pacific Bridge Project

Our goal with the Pacific Bridge Project is to benefit the health of people of Chinese origin through exchange and support programs and collaborative research projects on cancers found in Chinese populations. These include lymphoma, breast, liver, nasopharyngeal, stomach and colorectal cancers.

The Pacific Bridge Project is an innovative privately funded international collaboration, launched in 1992. Partners are Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and medical and academic centres in the People's Republic of China.

Donations to the project support its patient care, academic scholarships, exchange programs, and research activities. Information about the project can be obtained from Joseph Hon, Pacific Bridge Coordinator at 416-586-4452 or jhon@mtsinai.on.ca.
       

Health Care Resource Booklets

Mount Sinai Hospital has developed two resource booklets to assist Chinese patients as well as aid health care professionals working with patients of Chinese origin. The booklets are a collaboration with Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care and the Salvation Army Scarborough Grace Hospital.

The pocket-sized Chinese-English Communication Handbook for Health Care provides commonly used health care words and phrases in both Chinese and English.

Understanding Chinese Cultures: A Handbook for Health Care and Rehabilitation Professionals is designed to overcome language and cultural barriers to effective health care. The booklet contains information about Chinese culture that relates to illness, health beliefs and actual case examples that illustrate how theses cultural factors influence the lifestyle and help-seeking behavior of the Chinese community in Toronto.

You can buy these books through Mount Sinai Hospital's Chinese Outreach Program.

For more information call 416-586-5206.
   

Wellness Centre

The purpose of the Wellness Centre is to better understand the barriers that inhibit the Chinese community from accessing mental health services and develop a service that is culturally sensitive, accessible and acceptable.

The Wellness Centre provides:

• Outreach and education based upon a mental health promotion model that includes physical, mental and spiritual factors in health and wellness.
• Assessment and treatment of people with mental health problems.

Initially, the services are provided at a storefront location in Scarborough.

An Advisory Committee, composed of leaders from the Chinese and other communities, together with mental health professionals, is helping to guide the development of the Wellness Centre programs. Mount Sinai Hospital and its Department of Psychiatry have partnered with Hong Fook Mental Health Association and Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care in launching this project.

Contact the Wellness Centre at 416-291-3883.

Chinese Cancer and Palliative Care Support Network

This project is a joint venture of Mount Sinai Hospital's Chinese Outreach Program, leading social services agencies, and dedicated volunteers from the Toronto Chinese community. Its primary objective is to develop supportive resources for Chinese cancer patients and their families and for those facing terminal illness.

For more information call 416-586-5206.