Activities & Achievements
Activities
Mois de la francophonie | Month of La Francophonie
Cultive tes racines! | Cultivate your Roots!
Every March, in Canada and around the world, we celebrate the Month of La Francophonie. This is an opportunity to highlight the richness and vibrancy of the French language, as well as the contributions of Francophones to our cultural heritage and collective identity. Join the celebrations and recognize the importance of French here and beyond.
Achievements
- FLS Annual Report (see Summary of 2024-2025 below)
- FLS Strategic Plan
Summary of 2024-2025
Active Offer: An invitation to a Positive Client Experience
Southern Health-Santé Sud (SH-SS) remains actively committed to applying the principle of “active offer” by supporting the availability and clear delivery of French language services across a range of settings, including community, acute care, and long-term care This commitment is reflected in several key practices:
- We enhance patient experience by proactively offering services in French, striving to fill designated positions with bilingual staff, and providing public communication materials in both official languages. Since January 2025, all staff were instructed to complete a mandatory Active Offer training module to reinforce this approach. Additionally, the team has revised and incorporated the Active Offer (AO) information into the General Regional Orientation program.
- All French Language Services web pages have been fully updated. Throughout the year, French language training continues to be offered to staff through several learning opportunities.
- A listing identifying francophone health care services is maintained and broadly shared regionally with the francophone population and service providers to enhance access and quality of care in French. In addition, the Hello-Bonjour logo is used to identify designated bilingual health sites, clinics, personal care homes, and programs, both on location and on SH-SS’s public and internal website.
Recruitment & Retention for a thriving bilingual workforce
Partnerships and collaborations are essential to the success of bilingual recruitment within Southern Health-Santé Sud. Southern Health-Santé Sud continues to collaborate with various community economic development groups throughout the region, local municipalities, and various stakeholders such as Santé en français, the Université de Saint-Boniface (USB), the Société Santé en français, and the Health Care Retention and Recruitment Office with Shared Health Manitoba.
Changes in social practices and use of technology have continued to influence marketing efforts and applicant sourcing. The use of social media through various platforms as a means to build our network with educational institutions, community partners as well as stakeholder groups, and enhance recruitment and engagement efforts with the public, students, and other potential talent sources.
Virtual platforms have also enabled recruitment efforts to have a broader geographical reach, not only nationally but also internationally.
A Francophone Regional Bus Tour, developed in partnership with the Université de Saint-Boniface, provides bilingual nursing students with the opportunity to visit designated bilingual health sites and Francophone communities in our region. A recent enhancement to this initiative included a micro-Kitchen Party, designed to promote cultural awareness and support recruitment efforts within Francophone populations.
Southern Health-Santé Sud actively promotes regional career opportunities through a variety of events, including multiple virtual and in-person career fairs, bilingual career fairs, and regional bus tours in both English and French. Notably, a French-language presentation was delivered to nursing students at the Université de Saint-Boniface, and the organization also participated in a job fair hosted by Pluri-elles. Recruitment efforts at bilingual events focus on bilingual nursing and allied health positions in areas with high Francophone populations. At non-bilingual events, Active Offers are extended to candidates to ensure communication in their preferred official language.
Finally, a significant effort was dedicated this year to reviewing position descriptions across the organization and developing bilingual position posting profiles.
Connecting with the Community
We foster strong ties with the Francophone community through cultural and collaborative initiatives. For example, the Francophone Cultural Awareness Event (Kitchen Party) creates an inviting space for interaction among staff, local businesses, and artists, building meaningful relationships and cultural understanding.
Monthly communications promoting Francophone cultural activities are shared with staff, alongside promotions of provincial cultural campaigns. Staff are given opportunities to win prizes through participation in provincial or regional Francophone event campaigns.
Partnerships with Francophone Networks
Southern Health-Santé Sud remains steadfast in fulfilling its FLS mandate and is committed to maintaining active engagement with stakeholders and partners such as Santé en français and other relevant groups. This commitment is demonstrated through regular participation in meetings to advocate for French Language Services (FLS) priorities and initiatives aimed at enhancing access to and the delivery of bilingual health care services within Southern Health-Santé Sud.
Participation in the Réseau en Immigration Francophone (RIF) Community Advisory Council strengthens our connection to Francophone newcomers, enabling us to better understand and address their unique health needs.
Sustainable FLS Model
Through the OZi data collection exercise and subsequent report, SH-SS is able to capture information about Designated Bilingual Positions (DBPs) and provide data and HR trends related to these positions.
Southern Health-Santé Sud promotes awareness of the significance and benefits of Shared Health – Language Access Interpreter Services (LAIS) and its associated policy, including comprehensive staff education, to mitigate risks and enhance patient safety.
Through these efforts, we actively deliver French language services and also build lasting partnerships that support the health and well-being of Francophone communities.
Southern Health-Santé Sud
570 designated bilingual positions
222 designated bilingual positions filled by bilingual incumbents
223 designated bilingual positions filled by non-bilingual incumbents
100 designated bilingual positions – vacant
(March 2025)