BETTER Women

Did you know that about 1 in 5 cancer cases can be prevented by eating well, being active and maintaining a healthy body weight?
It’s true. There’s a lot you can do to reduce your cancer risk.

The Canadian Cancer Society recognizes that making healthy behaviour changes can be difficult to do alone. That’s why we are working in partnership with Women’s College Hospital to offer the BETTER Women program.

BETTER Women is a FREE program that provides support to women aged 40-68 to take control of their health so they can prevent chronic disease, including cancer. The program offers personalized medical advice about chronic disease prevention and virtual access to a peer health coach for up to six months. Peer health coaches are trained to help women reach and maintain their health and cancer screening goals.

The program is currently being offered by three sites:

Barrie and Community Family Health Team: Family Medicine Teaching Unit
Summerville Family Health Team
Women’s College Hospital Family Practice Health Centre

You will:

Work with a prevention practitioner to identify personal and modifiable health and screening goals
Engage with a peer health coach who is similar to you in gender, age and location, and who has a lived experience setting personal health goals like getting active and quitting smoking
Check-in with a peer health coach weekly for up to 10 weeks and then as needed up to 6 months using a method of communication (e.g., phone, video and/or text) and time and day that is most convenient for you

Join BETTER Women

To assess your eligibility for the program, please review the questions below

Are you a 40- to 68-year-old woman?
Have you been a patient of one of the following sites for at least three years:
- Barrie and Community Family Health Team: Family Medicine Teaching Unit
- Summerville Family Health Team
- Women’s College Hospital Family Practice Health Centre
Do you have a valid Ontario health card (OHIP)?
Do you have a valid email address that you would be willing to use for your participation in the BETTER Women program?

If you answered ‘Yes’ to ALL these questions, you may be eligible to participate in the BETTER Women program! Please contact the research team via email at BETTERWomen@wchospital.ca.

If you would prefer to speak with someone directly, you may also call the research team at 416-323-6400 ext. 5219.

“The qualities that make a good peer health coach is really a partner in your life. Someone who can listen, someone who will collaborate with you, someone who is going to help guide you in your own health journey.”

-Nalini Sharma, Peer Health Coach

Partners

BETTER Women is a partnership between the Canadian Cancer Society and Women's College Hospital. BETTER Women is made possible through joint funding from the Canadian Cancer Society, the Peter Gilgan Foundation, Women’s College Hospital Foundation and the Public Health Agency of Canada.