Dr. Annalee Coakley
Project lead
Annalee Coakley, MD, CCFP, DTMH, Physician Lead, Mosaic Refugee Health Clinic
Project location
High River and Calgary Alberta
Project summary
Meat-packing plants have experienced some of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in Canada. Many workers are recent immigrants and have difficulty adhering to public health directives due to crowded housing, income insecurity and language comprehension.
Dr. Annalee Coakley evaluated a primary care pathway that Alberta Health Services Primary Care and Calgary Zone Primary Care Networks had developed to support meat-packing plant employees and their families following a devastating COVID-19 outbreak in their Alberta workplace.
The evaluation demonstrated the positive impact of intentional collaboration between primary care, public health and community partners on high-risk patients.
Not only did it curb infections and reduce spread, it also supported coordination of resources to help workers access the financial, housing, and social supports critical to addressing social inequities.
The pathway’s success led to it being adopted broadly as the response to meat-packing plant outbreaks across Alberta.
For more information on this project, its partners and collaborators.