Medical group aims to help Sudbury shelter clients access health care options

A local medical group is hoping to continue with a recent program launched to help improve the health of people who are homelessin the community.

The YMCA has received funding from the City of Greater Sudbury for its warming centre to bring in staff from a local medical group, called Med-I-Well.

Medical group owner and pharmacistLucio Fabrissays he, along with a psychotherapist and office manager, met with clients at the warming centre over a number of weeks.

"They became more open with us,told us about some of their medication needs or some of the struggles and barriers that exist in terms of them taking their medications or going to get their medications, or accessing the health care system," he said.

Fabris says staff were able to offer basic medical advice or refer the clients on to a nurse practitioner clinic.

"In a lot of ways, we felt like we were acting as a conduit of care, in terms of either bringing care to them or bringing them to care."

He says he hopes to present the findings of the program to the YMCA and the city in the future.

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