As a hospital committed to advancing health equity for all, Women’s College Hospital (WCH) is constantly seeking innovative ways to reach community members traditionally underserved by the healthcare system.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, that need was greater than ever. As we mobilized to break down barriers to healthcare in the face of unprecedented restrictions, our donor community stepped forward with incredible generosity to ensure we could reach well beyond our walls to serve patients where, when and how they needed care the most.
In May 2021, Downtown AutoGroup and Downtown Toyota coordinated with Toyota Canada’s Cars for Good program to provide three minivans and volunteer drivers in support of Women’s College Hospital’s mobile vaccination program.
The Toyota Sienna hybrid minivans – driven by retired employees of Downtown Toyota – brought vaccination teams directly to community members in Toronto who may otherwise have been unable to access COVID-19 vaccines due to transportation or mobility barriers.
Thanks to the generosity of these three incredible partners, thousands of people across the city are now better protected against COVID-19.
In December 2021, the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation made a generous gift of $200,000 to help launch the Centre for Wise Practices’ Virtual Hub at WCH – a new digital initiative designed to support and empower Indigenous Peoples working in healthcare settings across Canada.
Recognizing that Indigenous patients and care providers continue to face complex and systemic inequities, racism and trauma in healthcare – experiences that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic – the hub was designed by Indigenous healthcare leaders to provide resources about Indigenous ways of thinking about health and ceremony.
Ultimately, the initiative has a goal to help create safe, culturally responsive healthcare spaces – a need that has never been more urgent in the wake of the pandemic, which has disproportionately impacted Indigenous Peoples.
We are deeply grateful to TELUS and other significant supporters of the Virtual Hub – including the Karen Green Charitable Trust and the Holdbest Foundation – for helping to advance reconciliation in healthcare and a healthier, more equitable future for all.
