Since May, some 1,500 volunteer employees of the CIUSSS de l’Estrie have pinned a sunflower to their uniform to signify their ability to interact in the language of Charles III in order to promote communication with English-speaking users.
“In Estrie, we have a pool of 40,000 English-speaking people,” explains Caroline Van Rossum, manager at the CIUSSS de l’Estrie. According to a survey conducted by the firm CROP in 2023, a third of them say they are “uncomfortable” asking for care in their language.
The sunflower aims to overcome this language barrier. Anyone who wears it displays their proficiency in English and their willingness to speak it with people in order to respect the right of patients, guaranteed by the Official Languages Act, to receive medical services in one of Canada’s two founding languages.
“Gesture of kindness and openness”
Rooted in the La Pommeraie and Memphrémagog sectors, “where the proportion of English-speaking people is the highest in Estrie,” specifies Mme Van Rossum, the measure is intended as a “gesture of goodwill and openness” towards the English-speaking community of Estrie.
Doctors, nurses, attendants, managers and security guards: approximately 1,500 people at all levels of the CIUSSS organization chart raised their hands to participate in the initiative. This number represents half of the staff employed in the two local service networks involved in the pilot project.
“We have a very, very good response,” rejoices M.me Van Rossum, also a senior advisor for English-language services to the population. This is quite indicative of the success of the project.
The CIUSSS de l’Estrie denies encouraging the anglicization of its care environments. “For us, meeting the needs of users is our priority,” says the instigator of the initiative. “Offering quality care that people can understand, regardless of their ability in French, took precedence over all other considerations.”
Wearing the sunflower is voluntary, Caroline Van Rossum adds. “There is no obligation and for us, it was very important to respect people’s right to work in French. For us, the measure does not exclude a French-speaking work environment.”
The impact of the pilot project must be analyzed in the fall. And if it proves positive, the CIUSSS would like to extend the measure, or even expand it elsewhere in its territory.
The initiative, which is inspired by a similar measure established on the Côte-Nord, cost approximately $10,000 to implement, a cost paid by the Cowansville and Memphrémagog hospital foundations. “It does not come from the operating budget of the establishments,” emphasizes Mme Van Rossum.