Geographical, economic, social and cultural barriers to accessing services in rural areas are widely reported. Less widely discussed are dilemmas posed by individual and community reluctance to address sensitive health issues. This article, focusing on the highly sensitive area of mental health, and employing a participatory action approach,…

One of the major reasons many children do not receive efficient, effective health care is that much of public spending for child health services has been funneled through categorical funding programs. The Child Health Initiative provided an opportunity to learn how different communities would approach improving child health services through…

A study of Dalhousie University (Nova Scotia) medical school primary care residency graduates (n=200) and other specialty graduates (n=371) suggests that the institution's policy of requiring first-year residencies in small community health services may cause more graduates, both primary care and specialists, to choose rural practice locations.…

Objective: Among psychiatric educators of medical students and residents are those who are referred to as volunteer faculty. Their unpaid status, limited time to devote to teaching, and isolation from most of the core faculty present us with the challenge of better integrating them with the team of educators. The author describes a faculty…

The future of school-linked adolescent health centers cannot be determined without further evaluation. The recent development of school-linked health centers stems from concerns about the special health needs of adolescents. Currently there are 125 school-based and school-linked centers in operation. Characteristics include the following: (1) most…