Ontario Making it Easier for Peel Region’s Black Community to Connect to Care Close to Home

New $25 million hub making it easier to connect to care and social services in one convenient location

The Voice of Canada News:

The Ontario government is investing $25 million to create the Peel Black Health & Social Services Hub, a full-service location for Black individuals and families to conveniently access health care and social services in one place, close to home.

The Peel Black Health & Social Services Hub is expected to open as early as Summer 2024. The hub will connect people to a team of primary care, mental health, and social service professionals. For Black clients in Peel, this means they can receive care for their health concerns, while also connecting to other social and community supports that can help improve their overall health and well-being.

“Our government is building a better connected health care system centred on the needs of all patients and families, no matter where they live,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “Our investment in a new Black health hub is an important step in ensuring we have a health care system that makes it easier for diverse communities to connect to the care they need close to home.”

The Peel Black Health & Social Services Hub was co-designed by residents in the growing community of Peel, where 20 per cent of Ontario’s Black communities live. With guidance from A Black Health Plan for Ontario, the province is funding more initiatives that make it easier to connect people to health care services and supports that meet their unique needs. The Ontario government is also investing in better ways to work with Black communities to increase access to screening for prevalent illnesses, including breast cancer, diabetes and hypertension. This includes creating more clinics for Black communities across Ontario that will help improve health care experiences for Black people and improve their health outcomes.

Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government is making health care more connected and effective, so everyone in Ontario can easily access the high-quality care they deserve. By working directly with Ontario Health and partnering with local health organizations, the province is making sure all communities in Ontario can receive the care that’s right for them, when and where they need it.

Quick Facts

• Improving health outcomes and patient experiences through initiatives such as the Peel Black Health & Social Services Hub makes the province’s health care system more efficient and helps to build healthier communities across the province.
• Many health organizations have worked together to create the Peel Black Health & Social Services Hub, including the Ontario government, Ontario Health, the Black Health Alliance, Roots Community Services, Partners Community Health and LAMP Community Health Centre.
• Ontario Health, the Wellesley Institute, the Black Health Alliance, Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre, the Black Physicians’ Association of Ontario and a group of community members, academics and health care leaders, have developed A Black Health Plan for Ontario. The plan provides a guide for tackling long-standing challenges in the health care system.

Quotes

“This significant commitment to the health and well-being of Ontario’s Black community underscores the Ontario government’s unwavering dedication to achieving healthcare accessibility and equity for every resident of the province. This commitment will reduce disparities, improve fair healthcare access for all, and address long-standing healthcare challenges within the Black, African and Caribbean communities.”- Charmaine Williams, MPP for Brampton Centre

“The creation of the Peel Black Health & Social Services Hub is a pivotal development in advancing the Black Health Plan and in ensuring the province is supporting community-led, evidence-based innovations to improve access, experiences, and outcomes for Black populations. One of Ontario Health’s most important strategic priorities is reducing disparities in health care, so we are excited by the potential of this historic partnership to do that for Black populations within Peel Region. We are proud to partner with the health organizations and community partners who are bringing this initiative to life.”-Anna Greenberg, Executive Lead, Equity, Inclusion, Diversity and Anti-Racism, Ontario Health

“With this investment in the Peel Black Health & Social Services Hub, we are well positioned to work with the community to build a comprehensive model of care that will provide primary care, mental health and addiction, and social supports that are culturally affirming and person-centred, to meet the needs of the growing and diverse Black population in Peel. We thank the Government of Ontario for this crucial and much needed investment in Peel, that will serve to build a more equitable health system for Black residents, while strengthening the local health system to serve the broader community.”- Angela Carter, Executive Director, Roots Community Services

“We know that better access to culturally affirming and person-centred health and social care is pivotal to improving the health and well-being of Black communities throughout Ontario. Hubs such as this play a pivotal role in providing that care, meeting resident needs and building strong communities. This critical investment by the Government of Ontario will bring the care that people need closer to home, and will create a space that will serve as a community anchor for years to come. We look forward to continuing to work alongside Hub partners and Peel residents to ensure Black communities in Peel have the resources, care, and supports they need to be healthy and thrive.”-Paul Bailey, Executive Director, Black Health Alliance