We know that health and poverty are inextricably linked. Social medicine is about defending human dignity and preventing avoidable suffering by taking a more proactive approach to health.
The Social Medicine Program at UHN is focused on integrating social determinants of health (e.g. housing, food) into care delivery and better partnering with community organizations to improve the quality of care for disadvantaged populations.
Current health equity initiatives include:
Affordable and supportive housing
Social isolation and loneliness
Food security
Poverty
A framework for the Social Medicine Program at UHN has been established through a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
between the City of Toronto, United Way and UHN. This MOU is the first of its kind in Canada and aims to better align health and social services for Toronto's most high-needs patients.
The Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine, housed at UHN's Social Medicine program, was created with the purpose of advancing health equity. The work in partnership with the community aims to eliminate historic and systemic barriers to support a more equitable distribution of resources and expand access to better health for people living in Toronto.
