Dr. Andrew Boozary prescribes housing to curb homelessness

Creating a more equitable and efficient health system to address the health outcomes of disadvantaged populations.

Air Date: October 10, 2023 | Length: 57:53 | Download the transcript 

 

 

 

 

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Episode Description

Season 5 launches with an interview with pioneering social medicine advocate Dr. Boozary, who speaks to how UHN is tackling one of the biggest challenges to health for those who are marginalized – homelessness. Dr. Boozary and UHN helped create an ambitious hospital first in Canada – the construction of a supportive housing site in Parkdale, Toronto. In this wide-ranging and thoughtful interview, Dr. Boozary makes the wider case that hospitals must expand their mission and lead innovations in a collaborative way to address the root causes of health problems. He speaks to the immigrant journey of his Iranian-born parents and how their sacrifice to give him and his sister new opportunities in life shapes the work he does today.

About Dr. Andrew Boozary

 

Dr. Andrew Boozary is a primary care physician, policy practitioner, researcher, and founding executive director of the Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine at the University Health Network. He completed his medical training at the University of Toronto and health policy training at Princeton University and Harvard University. His work at the intersection of health policy, social justice and equitable health care delivery aims to improve health outcomes for marginalized populations.

During the pandemic, Dr. Boozary served as co-lead of the Ontario Health Toronto Region COVID-19 Homelessness Response and holds the Dalla Lana Professorship in Policy Innovation at the University of Toronto. He is also the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Public Health Review and served in senior advisory roles for policymakers at various levels of government both nationally and abroad on public policy issues ranging from primary care reform to the implementation of pharmacare.

 

Dr. Boozary has published in high-impact academic journals, and his writing and analysis appear in print and broadcast media. He has been the recipient of several national and international awards and is the youngest physician recipient of the Louise Lemieux-Charles Health System Leadership Award and the youngest Convocation speaker for the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine.