January 21, 2012
Story by Kerri Robins; Photo courtesy of Centre of Hope
Most people will go to a doctor, or a walk-in clinic, when they seek medical help.
However, many homeless individuals do not have access to a regular family doctor, or even possess an Alberta Health Care card.
“Living on the street is tough and the homeless population is more susceptible to a wide range of chronic health conditions,” says Amanda Holloway, Executive Director of the Centre of Hope, a daytime drop-in centre for the homeless in Fort McMurray.
But no health care card means a health care bill, and the majority of this population can’t afford to pay for health care.
Recognizing these health care concerns, Shell Canada stepped forward with a $1.2-million donation to the Northern Lights Health Foundation, paving the way for an Alberta Heath Services (AHS) clinic in the Centre of Hope focused on this population’s needs. It opened last month.
“Many of our patrons suffer through treatable medical conditions rather than sit in the emergency room with people staring at them because of the way they look,” says Holloway.
Funding made it possible to recruit an AHS nurse practitioner for the clinic. When the nurse is off-duty, partnering outreach services use the space to rotate services; for example, for public health days and sexually transmitted infection clinics.
But there’s another reason for this clinic’s success.
“The research was unique,” says James Wai, Project Co-ordinator of Inner-City Health Initiative for AHS Public Health in Fort McMurray. “We listened to the personal experiences of future patrons of the clinic, and their difficulties paying for prescriptions, or the inability to get to the hospital because it’s too far to walk.”
Based on this input, a pilot project is in place allowing them to use the centre’s address to get a health care card. It’s part of a facilitated process that relaxes qualification requirements and forgives any outstanding health care debts.
”We’re proud to be playing a role in changing the lives of our city’s most vulnerable population,” says Susanne Chaffey, Executive Director, Northern Lights Health Foundation. “Shell’s long time support and commitment to health care has contributed to remarkable improvements to community health services.”
It’s a sentiment Holloway echoes.
“Advocacy on behalf of patrons is key, and we are blessed to have so many caring staff at the clinic and partner agencies supporting our patrons,” says Holloway.
For more information, please visit Northern Lights Health Foundation, www.nlhf.ca or call 780.791.6041.
