THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA BRIGHTER SMILES PROGRAM: IMPROVING ABORIGINAL HEALTH AND BEYOND!

Abstract

Background The University of British Columbia (UBC) Brighter Smiles Program, initiated in 2001, consists of a unique partnership between UBC health care professionals and remote aboriginal communities in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is now seen to be a successful community-based health and education program. The combination of implementing a school-based health program aimed to improve the oral health of children and also providing pediatric resident trainees with community clinical experience provides value to both the aboriginal communities and the specialty trainees. Purpose The purpose of this project was to produce and distribute an educational video to describe the value of the program for other remote aboriginal communities in British Columbia considering joining the program and to highlight aspects of the pediatric trainees9 experience for other university residency programs to review. The aboriginal community of Hartley Bay, British Columbia, Canada, being first to join the program and enrol all their school-age children in the oral health part of the program and first to complete the 3-year follow-up for the oral health program, was selected as the site for the video filming. Methods During a preplanned visit to the Hartley Bay community in September 2006, broadcast-quality footage for the video was filmed by Response Productions Inc. Interviews were obtained from aboriginal band council and community members, the school principal, teachers, the health director and the health coordinator of the Hartley Bay Nursing Station, and the UBC Brighter Smiles Team: pediatric resident trainees, program coordinator, and program director. In addition to documenting the oral health program for children, the video also describes the pediatric resident clinic and educational school session presentations by residents on various health and prevention topics. The completed video will be distributed in DVD format and a shortened version will be available on the Internet. Results Feedback of the video has been positive from both the Hartley Bay community participants and the Brighter Smiles team; the video is in postproduction and will be released in November 2006. Conclusions The continued success of the UBC Brighter Smiles Program partnering university and remote aboriginal communities in British Columbia is highlighted in this educational video to become available as a health education program resource.