Providing Care, Outreach, and Advocacy for Hamilton’s Most Vulnerable Residents

In our latest Annual Report 2018-2020, our Experts, Dr. Tim O’ Shea and Dr. Leslie Martin share their personal experiences in providing care, outreach, and advocacy for some of Hamilton’s most vulnerable residents.

For Dr. O’Shea – associate professor, an infectious diseases and internal medicine specialist, and a physician with the Hamilton Shelter Health Network and The Hamilton Social Medicine Response Team (HAMSMaRT) – patients dealing with homelessness, substance abuse, and mental illness need not only medical care, but social supports.

“If looking after a patient’s health means looking after whatever infections they may have, or whatever medication needs they may have, and then ignoring that they have no place to sleep — that seems very weak,” he said.

It was this philosophy that compelled Dr. O’Shea to begin HAMSMaRT along with Co-founder Dr. Christian Kraeker. A coalition of physicians, peer support workers and community organizers, HAMSMaRT was borne out of a desire to connect with homeless individuals in the community, and to provide excellence in clinical care to those who are often excluded from the traditional medical system… Please read the full report here

Meanwhile Dr. Dr. Leslie Martin began her work with the homeless population after being mentored by Dr. O’Shea. Dr. Martin, a general internist with the department of medicine, first began her work with inpatients with substance use disorders after noticing that there were no official protocols for individuals who were suffering from withdrawal symptoms while in hospital.

“We would be seeing patients in hospital who would be going through severe withdrawal, and we didn’t really have ways to help them locally,” she said. “It just wasn’t within anybody’s realm of expertise.”

As the opioid crisis intensified, in February of 2018, Dr. Martin became co-chair of the Inpatient Addictions Medicine Service. This service, co-chaired by Dr. Robin Lennox, a family physician, is seeking to transform the health care experience for people who use drugs by: providing compassionate wraparound care; integrating harm reduction and evidence-based approaches; building capacity and understanding amongst healthcare teams; working to eliminate stigma; and empowering people who use drugs. In the past three years, this service has seen over 600 patients… Please read her full report here