Dissemination of heart health promotion: lessons from the Canadian Heart Health Initiative Ontario Project.

Situated in central-eastern Canada, Ontario is the largest province with a population of 11 million. Ontario is considered a fairly rich province at the centre of Canada's manufacturing and financial sectors. Public health services in Ontario are primarily delivered through public health departments, each administered by a local board of health and regulated by provincial legislation and program guidelines. The Canadian Heart Health Initiative Ontario Project (CHHIOP) was a four year project (1994 to 1998) undertaken as part of the dissemination phase of the Canadian Heart Health Initiative (CHHI) (see O'Loughlin et al., p.4). CHHIOP is one component of a long-term process to develop and implement effective heart health programs in Ontario.