This work is being coordinated by the Income Security Working Group and is
part of our work here at the Social Planning Council of Hamilton.
Sandy Shaw
Senior Planner
Social Planning & Research Council of Hamilton
162 King William Street
Hamilton, ONL8R 3N9
905 522-1148 x310
Contact Deirdre Pike
905 522-1148 x302
-----Original Message-----
From: Social Determinants of Health [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Thompson, Kenneth
Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 11:30 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [SDOH] Healers focus on helping the poor
can anyone put me in touch with the folks at Hamilton Health Care Providers
Against Poverty?
I am working to link old industrial cities with each other to address health
equity in the context of de-industrialization and the need for economic
revitalization..
see the US UK Dialogue on Achieving Health Equity in Post De-industrial
Regions www.ucis.pitt.edu/gap/health_ineq
thanks
Ken Thompson MD
University of Pittsburgh
________________________________
From: Social Determinants of Health on behalf of Ted Hildebrandt
Sent: Wed 3/22/2006 11:08 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [SDOH] Healers focus on helping the poor
Healers focus on helping the poor
By Bill Dunphy
The Hamilton Spectator
(Mar 22, 2006)
Tonight, a group of Hamilton health-care providers will meet for the first
time to turn their attention to the causes of poverty, instead of simply
treating its symptoms -- symptoms which they see daily in their offices and
clinics.
"You want to improve people's health, but there's only so much you can do
with a prescription," says Dr. Diana Ahmed, one of the founders of Hamilton
Health Care Providers Against Poverty (HHCPAP).
"Treating the individual is an important role (for doctors)," says Ahmed,
"but scientific and medical research shows that poverty is the biggest
determinant of health. We know that it's not enough to simply see the
diabetic in your office, to treat the asthma patient. We have to look at the
bigger issues."
For Ahmed, a McMaster grad, HHCPAP will be her first attempt at blending her
social activism interests with her medical responsibilities. "How do we as
health-care providers address the issue of poverty? And what can we do,
beyond treating the individual?"
Ahmed and nurse practitioner Sue Grafe both work at the North Hamilton
Community Health Centre and were inspired to launch this new network by the
Toronto-based Health Care Providers Against Poverty. The Toronto group has a
slightly narrower focus at this point -- they're pressing the province to
restore full support for special dietary allowances that can add up to $250
to the monthly cheques of social assistance recipients, a supplement that
can often mean the simple difference between hunger and health.
A campaign by poverty activists last summer signed up so many Ontario Works
and Ontario Disability Support Program recipients for the special dietary
allowances that provincial officials branded the effort abusive and re-wrote
the rules in November in an effort limit access to the program.
Ironically, although the new rules restricted some payments, the publicity
around the issue led to even more people applying and total payments are up.
The amounts involved are not trivial -- either to the families and
individuals receiving them or to the system overall.
The Ministry of Community and Social Services says it spent $13.3 million on
the supplement last month, up from $11.6 million in October.
But Ahmed said that while fair access to the special diet (and adequate
assistance rates in general) are important, the new group will decide what
it wants to tackle. "I'm hoping we're going to take on broader issues, too.
But I don't want to force an agenda on anyone."
Ahmed and other organizers have heard from members of the McMaster Family
Practice, medical students, doctors and nurses, but she really has no idea
how many will show up.
The inaugural meeting, which is intended for health-care providers, not
activists or the general public, takes place today at the North Hamilton
Community Heath Centre, 554 John St. N. at 5:30 p.m.
[log in to unmask]
905-526-3262
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