Tag: 2012

Join the OCFP Poverty & Health Community of Practice for Family Physicians

The Ontario College of Family Physician’s Poverty & Health Committee has launched a Community of Practice (CoP), a network of family physicians committed to addressing poverty in clinical practice. The CoP’s primary objective is to facilitate the exchange of poverty and health resources and best practices.  We will communicate through an e-mail list serve and will endeavor to build relationships between members through annual meetings at the Family Medicine Forum (when hosted in Ontario) or the OCFP’s Annual Scientific Assembly.

We invite you to join us for an informal reception to launch the OCFP Poverty & Health Community of Practice, taking place at this year’s FMF in Toronto. We have included below all details regarding the reception. A guest pass is required for entry and can be picked up at the FMF registration desk.

Date: Wednesday November 11, 2015
Time: 6:00-7:30 pm drop-in (Guest Pass Required for Access – See FMF Registration Desk)
Location: Metro Toronto Convention Centre – 700 level foyer
222 Bremner Blvd, Toronto, ON M5V 3L9
Appetizers and refreshments will be served. No RSVP required.

Unable to attend but still interested in joining the OCFP Poverty and Health Community of Practice? Our registration page is open. Kindly visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/X7PG2LS to join now!

Press Release: Health Providers Demand Restoration of CSUMB

Dec 13, 2012

Health Providers Demand Restoration of Community Start-up and Maintenance Benefit

TORONTO – Health Providers Against Poverty are joining anti-poverty activists across the province to call for a stop to cuts to the Community Start-up and Maintenance Benefit (CSUMB). The provincial Liberal’s are set to eliminate the CSUMB that some 16,000 people on social assistance in Ontario use every month to obtain or retain housing. The CSUMB allows people on welfare and disability to move into safer housing from hospital and shelters, domestic violence situations and homes that confer significant health risks such as bedbugs or mould.

“Health care providers know that income security and access to safe, affordable housing are critical determinants of health” says Laura Hanson, community nurse and HPAP member. “Every day we see the physical and mental impact of homelessness and unsafe living conditions”.

On December 13th, Health Providers Against Poverty will deliver a letter to the former Minister of Children and Youth Services and a current Liberal leadership candidate, Dr. Eric Hoskins. We appeal to Dr. Hoskins as a physician and self –described “renowned humanitarian”, to take immediate action to reverse this policy decision that will harm the poorest members of our communities.  HPAP is one of 10 groups holding events in the GTA to demand that this cut is stopped. Extensive research has documented that income and housing are critical determinants of health. As income drops, the likelihood of disease increases. Accordingly, income support provided to people living in poverty is an investment in the health of people across our province.

Health Providers Against Poverty is an interdisciplinary group committed to addressing poverty as a high impact health intervention.

For information on the Week of Action to Stop the Cut to the CSUMB go to http://www.ocap.ca/node/1032

Contact: hpagainstpoverty@gmail.com