Fred Ellerington right talking to a patient
In the winter of 2020, a man named Eric arrived at the Slaight Family Emergency Department with injured knees and ribs. Homeless and hungry, he had fallen in a subway station where he was trying to stay warm.
He was treated and discharged. But with nowhere to rest or elevate his feet, and without access to nutritious food, his injuries were unable to heal. He soon returned to St. Michael’s Hospital
He was treated and discharged again. Then he returned again. And again. At one point, Eric had to visit the hospital 17 days in a row as he struggled to recover, both physically and mentally.
Eric wasn’t alone. As a place that cares for more people experiencing homelessness than any other hospital in Ontario, St. Michael’s was seeing countless people return time and again for follow-up care because of the toll homelessness was taking on their health.
And as the homelessness crisis continued to grow during the pandemic, we knew it was time for a change.
Not long after Eric’s ordeal, we launched the first study in Canada to investigate how often patients experiencing homelessness are readmitted to hospital, and whether the reasons for readmission are preventable or modifiable.
The study found that more than a quarter of all homeless patients are readmitted within 90 days. It also found that for patients with a hospital-based case manager — someone who helps them navigate community-based supports and services — the risk of readmission is much lower.
Armed with this information, we soon launched the Navigator Program with the generous support of St. Michael’s donor community.
Through this innovative program, patients experiencing homelessness are assigned a Homeless Outreach Counsellor (that’s us!) — trained social workers who closely follow each patient for approximately 90 days after discharge.
We help ensure patients can access safe shelter, food, and community-based healthcare. We also help them apply for financial assistance and find permanent stable housing so they can heal and get back on their feet.
Since the program launched in 2022, we have helped many patients like Eric move past their circumstances and their injuries. And along with this critical human impact, the program has also helped reduce pressures on the emergency department due to readmissions.
We’re now focused on evaluating the Navigator Program to assess its long-term impact for patients and the hospital alike. If it proves to be the right solution — and we believe it is — then we hope to share this model with hospitals right across Canada so they, too, can better meet the needs of underserved patients.
We like to think that the Navigator Program reflects the heart and soul of St. Michael’s Hospital. It’s an innovative and courageous donor-funded solution grounded in an enduring belief that everyone deserves access to exceptional healthcare, without exception. And, most importantly, it’s changing lives.
That’s the true power of an investment in St. Michael’s Hospital. We can’t thank this generous community enough for making it possible.
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