Community Symposium on Health Care and Homelessness
LONDON, ON – At a community symposium, a research team from Lawson Health Research Institute will announce the results of a nine-month, federally funded project tackling the issue of homelessness from within hospital walls.
The No Fixed Address (NFA) strategy reaches and supports patients during the crucial transitional period when they are being discharged from the hospital and re-integrated into the community. The approach was initially tested with strong success for mental health patients across the city and in this second phase of the project it was extended to medical units at London Health Sciences Centre’s University Hospital and Victoria Hospital.
“Through partnerships between service providers and non-profit organizations, the No Fixed Address strategy helps prevent homelessness by providing timely and accessible supports to patients who would otherwise be discharged into homelessness,” says Dr. Cheryl Forchuk, Assistant Scientific Director at Lawson and NFA project lead. “Lawson’s expanded No Fixed Address research project is the first evaluation anywhere of a strategy to reduce the number of hospital patients being discharged into homelessness.”
Over 250 people will be attending the Community Symposium on health care and homelessness which will include group discussions, guest speakers and a lived experience panel.
Date: Tuesday, June 4, 2019
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Best Western Plus Lamplighter Inn & Conference Centre, 591 Wellington Road, London, ON N6C 4R3
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Following speaking remarks, Dr. Cheryl Forchuk will be available for media interviews. Walter Osoka, patient advocate, is speaking on the event’s Lived Experience Panel and will also be available for media interviews. All members of the media are asked to please RSVP to Laura Goncalves (contact details below).
LAWSON HEALTH RESEARCH INSTITUTE
As the research institute of London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Health Care London, and working in partnership with Western University, Lawson Health Research Institute is committed to furthering scientific knowledge to advance health care around the world.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Laura Goncalves
Communications & External Relations
Lawson Health Research Institute
T: 519-685-8500 ext. 64059
C: 226-448-1525
@email
