New Health Co-op in Sherbrooke University

Gathering together students, personnel and various categories of supporting members, this co-operative has the mission to unite the university community in issues of health through the commitment of university community members in promotion and prevention, key factors for maintaining a population in good health.

The health co-op will make full use of the available professional and complementary expertise including doctors, nurses, kinesiologists and psychologists. It could for example provide a health check-up, detect risk factors, and put in place strategies for better lifestyle habits regarding nutrition, physical activity, psychological health, reasonable alcohol consumption or even drug and smoking prevention measures.

In this way the health coop intends to offer programming mainly focused around the healthy living habits of its members. This sustainable orientation blends in perfectly with one of the seven major challenges that have been identified over the next ten years by the general population and scientists as part of a vast enquiry conducted by the Conseil de la science et de la technologie du Québec. On a more global scale, this commitment by the Université de Sherbrooke health coop also fits in with one of the four major priorities established by the World Health Organization: encourage good food habits and physical activity.

The board of directors of the health coop is made up of seven user members and four supporting members. IHCO board member Jean-Pierre Girard, expert-counsel in collective health enterprises, teaching assistant and researcher associated with the IRECUS, acts as advisor to this project.