Born from the merger between the Verdun Hospital Foundation and the Jeanne-Mance Health and Wellness Foundation, the Urban Health Foundation’s mission is to humanize health care from birth to end of life for the community. of the Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, thanks to human gestures, the purchase of medical equipment and innovative projects. On the eve of its fifth anniversary, the Foundation offers an overview of the projects in which it takes part in the Village, in Ville-Marie and within the LGBTQ+ community.
A tangible presence in the community
The Urban Health Foundation financially supports projects that have a concrete positive impact for the clienteles of two hospitals, eight CLSCs and 14 CHSLDs. For the Village and its surroundings, it is a question more specifically of the Notre-Dame Hospital, the CLSC Sainte-Catherine (Faubourgs), the Visitation and Parthenais as well as the accommodation centers Armand-Lavergne, Bruchési, Émilie-Gamelin and Ernest-Routhier.
The purchase of medical equipment, the payment of critical treatments or the financing of major renovations are some examples of concrete actions taken by the Foundation. This support makes a marked difference when one considers that the sectors served by the organization present less favorable socio-economic characteristics than in all of the other territories of Montreal. Issues such as addiction, loss of autonomy, homelessness, psychological disorders, adjustment difficulties and degenerative diseases are particularly ubiquitous.
According to Marie-Andrée Lefebvre, Executive Director of the Urban Health Foundation, proximity to the community and the tangible aspect of the actions taken are among the Foundation’s central values: “the objective for us is to participate in projects that have a very concrete impact for the communities. We listen to local stakeholders and try to identify needs with them in order to see how we can make the biggest difference. We want to be present for local communities, so we have created an emergency fund to avoid leaving people with unforeseen needs on their own. »
Solidarity hospital: feed to heal
The Hôpital solidaire project is one of the flagship initiatives financed by the Foundation. Set up by the food services of Hôpital Notre-Dame, the objective of the project is to provide free meals to clients of the hospital and neighboring CLSCs and clinics who are experiencing food insecurity. Nutritious meals made from local products therefore become an integral part of the treatment plan for users, allowing them to focus on their recovery. To date, more than 500 people have used the Hôpital solidaire project, making the program a tool for healing and inclusion that concretely improves community well-being and health equity.
Facilitating access to PEP at the SIDEP+ clinic
The CLSC de la Visitation’s Integrated HIV/AIDS Screening and Prevention Service (SIDEP+) offers free and anonymous access to STBBI services, including post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). A critical treatment to prevent HIV infection following high-risk exposure, PEP can be expensive and difficult to access for some people without public or private insurance. However, the Compassionate Access Fund for HIV prevention offered by the Urban Health Foundation allows the SIDEP+ of the CLSC de la Visitation to cover the cost of treatment for people who would not otherwise have access to it. In addition to contributing directly to increasing access to medication and reducing the spread of HIV in Montreal, the collaboration between SIDEP+ workers and the Foundation provides a crucial solution to people who find themselves in a context of psychological distress and medical emergency.
Supervision and support at the Relais clinic
The Urban Health Foundation also provides support to the Relais clinic, which recently moved from rue Sainte-Catherine to Hôpital Notre-Dame. The clinic treats and supports people dependent on opioids living on the margins of social and health networks. In particular, it offers medication-assisted treatments (methadone or buprenorphine) focused on health care, harm reduction and improved quality of life. It also offers psychiatric assessment and follow-up services or transfers to addiction rehabilitation centers if necessary.
Donate to make a difference in the community
People who want to make a difference in their community can make a donation to the Foundation directly via its website. It is also possible to take part in various fundraising activities throughout the year, including the Bal Urbain in May, the Challenge of Generations in June and the popular [email protected]tre, in November.
INFO | For all the details, you can visit the www.fondationsanteurbaine.com
