Inner City Health Associates

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Inner City Health Associates
AbbreviationICHA
Formation2005 (started); 2011 (officially incorporated)
HeadquartersToronto
ServicesCommunity healthcare
Key people
Andrew Bond - Medical Director
Shivanee Nadarajah - Director of Operations
Websitewww.icha-toronto.ca

Inner City Health Associates (ICHA) is Canada's largest community healthcare organization for unhoused people and is based in Toronto.[1][2][3]

Organization[edit]

In 2014, Inner City Health Associates' team included over 65 medical doctors, including 29 family doctors and 32 psychiatrists.[4][1] In 2014, ICHA provided healthcare services at over 40 shelters, drop in centers, street-outreach teams, and housing agencies.[1] In 2010 ICHA provided 14,400 hours of care to 1,700 people.[1]

Their work is primarily funded by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.[5][1]

History[edit]

Inner City Health Associates was created after a advocacy campaign by doctors and administrators at St Michael's Hospital to the Ontario Ministry of Health to fund the delivery of healthcare in ways that addressed the specific challenges of delivering healthcare to people experiencing homelessness.[1] The negotiations resulted in the agreement of the first variation from the standard physician payment plan in Canada.[1] The organization was started in 2005 and officially incorporated in 2011.[6]

The model of care was designed with patients, families, and other local stakeholders.[1] ICHA works in partnership with donors and health policy-makers to focus on systems change, focused on community goals and barriers faced by patients and healthcare workers.[1]

Activities[edit]

ICHA primarily provides preventative health care, management of chronic, complex and acute illness, and mental health services.[1] ICHA also runs specific programs that provide multi disciplinary street outreach services, and help shelter staff with data management [1][7]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it operated an isolation facility for people who were homeless,[8][9] although disagreements between stakeholders initially delayed opening.[10] The centre operated with difficulties due to its design.[11] The centre received a $490,000 grant from the Public Health Agency of Canada's Immunization Partnership Fund to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake among the homeless population in Toronto shelters.[12]

Challenges[edit]

The work of ICHA faces barriers that include tension between healthcare providers and community-based social service providers.[1] Tension is exacerbated as both groups are governed by different patient privacy legislation in Ontario.[1]

Notable associates[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Stergiopoulos, Vicky (2014). "Collaborative Approaches to Community-Based Mental Health Care for Homeless People". In Guirguis-Younger, Manal; McNeil, Ryan; Hwang, Stephen W. (eds.). Collaborative Approaches to Community-Based Mental Health Care for Homeless People: Toronto's Inner City Health Associates. University of Ottawa Press. pp. 275–292. JSTOR j.ctt184qqc6.17. Retrieved 2022-01-14. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  2. ^ Guirguis-Younger, Manal; Hwang, Stephen W.; McNeil, Ryan (2014). Homelessness & Health in Canada. University of Ottawa Press / Les Presses de l’Université d’Ottawa. doi:10.26530/oapen_515362. ISBN 978-0-7766-2148-7.
  3. ^ "Inner City Health Associates (ICHA) - torontocentralhealthline.ca". www.torontocentralhealthline.ca. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  4. ^ "Inner City Health Associates | Eco-Ethonomics Inc". Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  5. ^ "Keeping Health Care Providers informed of payment, policy or program changes". Ontario Ministry of Health. 9 Nov 2018.
  6. ^ "ICHA - History of ICHA". www.icha-toronto.ca. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
  7. ^ "Toronto population health team helps homeless shelters contain COVID-19 outbreaks". boldly.cma.ca. 1 March 2021. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  8. ^ Grinspun, Doris (21 Dec 2021). "A new COVID-19 facility for persons experiencing homelessness in Toronto". Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  9. ^ Tomislav Svoboda, Stefan Baral, Paul Perlas, Andrew Bond, Aaron Orkin, Leslie Jardine, Gord Tanner (2020). "A High-Level Policies and Procedures Guide for Isolation Sites for People Experiencing Homelessness | The Homeless Hub". Homeless Hub. Retrieved 2022-01-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Kalata, Natalie (31 March 2020). "'Miscommunication' delays opening of COVID-19 centre for people experiencing homelessness". CBC.
  11. ^ Gibson, Victoria (2022-01-06). "As Omicron invades homeless shelters, staff told to keep infected residents on site". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  12. ^ Public Health Agency of Canada (2022-10-12). "Immunization Partnership Fund". Government of Canada. Archived from the original on 2022-11-04. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  13. ^ Rammohan, Indhu (2016-04-19). "Humanitarianism and Constant Conflict: Dr. Leslie Shanks' HHR Keynote Address". UTIHP. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  14. ^ Parker, Jim (2020-11-24). "Naheed Dosani, M.D.: Expand Palliative Care for the Homeless". Hospice News. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
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