Medical citizenship means every doctor should have a voice and should use it, and every doctor’s

voice matters.

If doctors cannot speak out, we have a problem.

“Opening the doors of Halifax’s public libraries to anyone who is homeless, street-involved or otherwise are what

those buildings are all about.”Asa Kachan, CEO Halifax Public Libraries

a non-profit charitable organization providing housing and supports in Halifax, operating

an emergency shelter, second-stage housing and two affordable, supportive

housing buildings for women and children, as well as several condominium units.

is an independent, non-partisan research institute concerned with issues of social, economic and environmental justice. 

https://www.policyalternatives.ca/offices/nova-scotia

Is a physician led organization.

Our mission is to provide a voice for Canadian doctors who want to strengthen and improve Canada’s universal publicly-funded healthcare system.

We advocate for innovations in treatment and prevention services that are evidence-based and improve access, quality, equity and sustainability.

http://www.canadiandoctorsformedicare.ca/

The mission of the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre is to provide

structured, social-based programming for Urban

Aboriginal People while serving as a focal point for the urban

aboriginal community to gather for a variety of community functions

and events. 

http://www.mymnfc.com/

-MOSH provides accessible primary health care services to people who are homeless, insecurely housed, street involved and underserved in our community. -The MOSH team is a collaborative primary health care team of two full-time nurses, half- time occupational therapist, half-time administrative support and 12 hrs of physician care per week.

http://moshhalifax.ca

http://nshealthcoalition.ca/

http://www.dal.ca/sites/noveltechethics.html

an interdisciplinary research team based at Dalhousie University that does research at the intersection of health, bioethics, and public policy.

Health and Homelessness Halifax Report Card (2012)

32% report being unable to follow a prescribed treatment plan, and 41% of those indicating that their lifestyle did not allow for follow through

59% were supposed to be taking medication for physical ailments, but only 27% said that they were able to obtain their medication

85% had been diagnosed with at least one of the chronic physical health conditions; 18% had 5 or more

Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia http://www.ahans.ca/

Health and Homelessness Halifax Report Card (2012) cont’d

48% had been given a mental health diagnosis by a health care professional

35% did not have a health card

58% accessed the ER for health care at least once in the previous year

56% accessed Mobile Outreach Street Health (MOSH) for health care at least once in the previous year

39% Said they are often hungry through the week

Poverty in NS

All income assistance recipients live in poverty

For a single individual IA is $538 per month

A healthy affordable diet for one person average costs about $200-290 per month

Average rent for a bachelor is $690 in Halifax

Faces of Poverty

Women have higher poverty rates than men no matter who they are or where they live.

Indigenous and First Nations children face poverty rates from 40% to 50%.

Racialized Canadians are particularly at risk with a poverty rate of 22%

Immigrant children's poverty rate in Canada: 33%

Faces of Poverty37.8% of people living in poverty in Nova

Scotia have a disability, and 12.1% of people with disabilities live in poverty (in 2009) in NS.

1 in every 2 lone parent families with children under the age of 18 live in poverty in Nova Scotia (2013)

Faces of Poverty

There are also differences depending on where people live

Highest child poverty rate for families with children is in Cape Breton, where almost 1 in 3 children under age of 18 live in poverty (32.6%).

http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/Local/2014-11-16/article-3941753/New-Waterford-students-tackling-child-poverty/1

http://tvo.org/whypoverty/info/working-poor

Panelists

Debbie Eisan, Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre

Sheri Lecker, Executive Director, Adsum for Women & Children

Patti Melanson, RN and Team Lead, Mobile Outreach Street Health, North End Community Health Centre

Dr. Dan Boudreau, Physician and Board Member, Canadian Doctors for Medicare

Moderator: Christine Saulnier, PhD, Nova Scotia Director, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

First Question

What are the current challenges to the provision of care for those who are

living in poverty and in particular people who are

homeless?

Second Question

What are some innovative ways that these challenges are being addressed/could

be addressed?

Third Question

How can these challenges and solutions provide us with a

deeper understanding of the state of health and health care?