Social Prescribing Panel Discussion at the Access Alliance research event May 14, 2025

This panel discussion followed Natasha Beaudin's keynote presentation (   • Natasha Beaudin - Social Prescribing keyno...  ).

Facilitator:

Courtney Kupka is a mixed-methods evaluator and a community-based researcher experienced in the non-profit health sector. She is focused on addressing health inequities through rigorous evaluation and research designs to support evidence-informed decision-making. She engages in projects aimed at reducing health disparities amongst populations facing systemic barriers. Courtney is dedicated to promoting inclusive evaluation and research practices that empower communities and organizations to better understand their impact and drive meaningful improvements in health and well-being outcomes. She is the Research and Evaluation Coordinator within the Community-Based Research Department of Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services supporting and implementing agency-wide evaluation and research projects.

Panelists:

Cliff Ledwos has over 30 years of experience in the community health services environment including governance, executive and senior leadership and project management. Additionally, he is versed in policy governance, critical thinking, innovation and change thinking and practice, health system (re)design, facilitation, resource development, and partnership building. Committed to health equity with a focus on systemically vulnerable communities and populations that include immigrants and refugees, Non-insured, youth and LGBTQ+. Currently, Cliff is the Acting Executive Director at Access Alliance, a Board member of the Alliance for Healthier Communities and on the Executive Committee of the Mid West Toronto and West Toronto Ontario Health Teams.

Dr. Sander Hitzig examines issues associated with aging with a disability, assessing the impact of primary impairments and secondary health conditions on quality of life, and identifying factors that promote health and well-being in the community. His interests include understanding the role of social networks on health and quality of life outcomes following disability, developing and validating patient-reported outcomes, and evaluating novel technologies and clinical services designed to enhance community living.

Dr. Basak Yanar is a scientist at the Institute for Work & Health, and an assistant professor in the division of Social and Behavioural Health Sciences in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. She holds a PhD in organizational behaviour and human resource management from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.Yanar’s research focuses on migration, work, and occupational health and safety (OHS). She studies the working conditions of newcomers to Canada and the role played by employers, the settlement sector and the OHS prevention system in promoting safe work integration of recent immigrants and refugees.

Dr. Rosanra (Rosie) Yoon's (she/her) research area focuses on health services evaluation with a particular focus in integrated care for people experiencing structural vulnerabilities, substance use and mental health challenges. Dr. Yoon employs participatory and collaborative evaluation methods for system improvement through her Better Together Research Hub. As a nurse practitioner, her clinical area of expertise is in the areas of substance use, concurrent mental health conditions, trauma and gender-informed care. Bridging between community-based grassroots programs and larger systems – to collaboratively meet the needs of people and communities – is a core value that guides her clinical and research work. Her firm belief is that health is achieved through our communities where we all work, live, play and belong.

This session took place at the annual Holistic Sustainable Development Network International (HSDNI) conference, which showcased our research at Access Alliance as well as the partnerships we have with many researchers who work with us and focus on the immigrant, refugee and non-status/non-insured communities.

Find out more about about our Community Based Research work here https://accessalliance.ca/research-ad...