A new volunteer-run health clinic launching this weekend at Hope Haven aims to remove barriers to medical care for people experiencing homelessness by providing basic health services in a place they already trust. Operating every Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the clinic called ‘Hope to Health’ will offer health assessments, wound care, and other basic medical services through volunteer nurses and a nurse practitioner. Hope Haven general manager Loree Bailey said staff regularly see clients arrive with untreated wounds, chronic illnesses, and other health concerns but face obstacles accessing traditional healthcare. “We see people every day that are coming in and they have healthcare needs that are very obvious,” Bailey said. “They have wounds, they have other conditions. They just need a general health assessment. They’re just maybe just generally physically unwell and they have barriers.” Those barriers include long emergency room waits, not having a family doctor or even lacking a valid health card. “So, this clinic is needed because none of those things matter if they’re here and they want to be seen,” Bailey said. Janice Jackson, program manager for Hope Haven’s Day program, said wounds are among the most common medical concerns staff encounter. “We’ve also had some people that have passed out because of blood pressure or blood sugar being low, a little bit dehydrated, so they’ve been feeling weak,” she said. “These are all things that we feel like the nurses can come in and assess and assist with in an environment that they’re already comfortable in.” Jackson said clients often avoid hospitals because of long waits or fear of being judged. “The barriers for them are just a little bit different,” she said. “They don’t feel as comfortable there.” She recalled one individual who arrived after putting a nail through their foot but was reluctant to seek hospital treatment despite the risk of serious infection. “Having that care right here, where they can walk in and access it every Saturday, is going to be a wonderful thing,” Jackson said. Volunteer registered practical nurse Jennifer Tape said early intervention can prevent relatively minor conditions from becoming life-threatening. “If we can figure out if someone has an infection early, then we can stop it from going septic or making it worse, or possibly even losing a limb,” Tape said. “The earlier the intervention, the better.” She said many clients also lack access to a family physician, making it difficult to receive ongoing care or home care services. “If you don’t have a family practitioner, you actually can’t get the home care services,” Tape said. “If you don’t have an address, that can be a barrier as well. There are all these social determinants of health that can impact your health if you don’t have them.” Beyond treating immediate concerns, organizers hope the clinic can connect clients with family doctors and provide education that helps them better manage their health. The initiative is entirely volunteer-run and receives no dedicated funding. “It’s all volunteers. There’s zero funding,” Bailey told CTV News. “The whole purpose is just to meet the needs.” Jackson believes the program could become a model for other shelters. “We hope that we could be the example for some other shelters to start programming like this,” she said. “It’s very important. We’re going to have a healthier Chatham-Kent at the end of this.” Hope Haven is also seeking additional volunteers and donations of medical supplies to support the clinic as it gets underway.
