We are proud to present Women’s College Hospital’s Health Equity Plan 2016-2020. Women’s College Hospital (WCH) embraces the bold concept of healthcare as a human right and recognizes that advancing health equity and addressing the underlying social determinants of health requires action both inside and outside of the health sector. We strive for equity of access, quality and care outcomes.
The plan applies an overall vision and reflects an ambitious four-year health equity strategy, building on our significant strengths and addressing new opportunities for growth and impact on healthcare as a human right. The process of developing this plan required an extensive look at the roles that Women’s College Hospital can play in advancing health equity – through the policies, programs and practices of our organization, the greater health system and through ongoing collaboration with our health and community sector partners.
Access and Disabilities Issues
Women’s College Hospital, in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), is committed to providing inclusive and responsive goods, services and employment supports in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of all persons with disabilities. We are committed to creating the conditions for a healthy, respectful and positive patient-care and work environment.
To ensure that our services are accessible to everyone, we will enable access to assistive devices, use of service animals and support persons.
Women’s College Hospital’s Accessibility Plan for 2017 – 2020 (.pdf) was developed to demonstrate our commitment to building an inclusive and barrier-free environment for our patients, families, staff, volunteers and partners.
Devices used to assist persons with disabilities in carrying out activities or in accessing the services of persons or organizations covered by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. Assistive devices include, but are not limited to, wheelchairs, hearing devices and devices for grasping.
An animal, used by a person with a disability, that is individually trained to assist people with disabilities in their daily activities, to enhance their quality of life and mitigate their disabilities. We welcome persons with a disability who are partnered with a service animal and acknowledge the unique relationship which exists in this partnership.
An individual hired or chosen by a person with a disability to provide services or assistance with communication, mobility, personal care, medical needs or with access to goods or services.
Women’s College Hospital provides free language interpretation services for patients and their families when our health-care providers, staff, and/or volunteers do not share a common language or culture with the patient, or when the patient is deaf, deafened or hard of hearing. We also provide sign language interpreters for patients who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing.
Our clinical and professional staff work to ensure that the information shared with the patient is fully understood and understandable by both parties
Please let us know when booking your appointment if a language interpreter, deaf interpreter or an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter is needed. Staff will make arrangements at no cost to you.
Language Interpretation and Translation
Women’s College Hospital provides free language interpretation services for patients and their families when our health-care providers, staff, and/or volunteers do not share a common language or culture with the patient, or when the patient is deaf, deafened or hard of hearing. We also provide sign language interpreters for patients who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing.
Our clinical and professional staff work to ensure that the information shared with the patient is fully understood and understandable by both parties.
Please let us know when booking your appointment if a language interpreter, deaf interpreter or an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter is needed. Staff will make arrangements at no cost to you.
Network on Uninsured Clients
The hospital’s Women’s Health Community Advisory Panel identified access to health services for people without health insurance as an urgent community health concern for the Greater Toronto Area. Supported by the WCH Equity Vision, a Collaborative Task Force was formed in April 2007 to study access to services for uninsured and undocumented people.
As membership mushroomed, the Collaborative Task Force grew into the WCH Network on Uninsured Clients. Members come from across the health-care and social services sectors, and include health-care professionals; community health and social services providers; academics; researchers; legal, policy and administrative staff; grassroots activists and people with lived experience.
Many of the hospitals in the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (TCLHIN) identified this issue in their 2009 health equity plans, and the LHIN is working on this issue at a systems level.
- Terms of Reference (.pdf)
- Ontario Hospital Association (.pdf) – HealthAchieve 2008 Presentation
- Research Conference on Healthcare for the Undocumented and Uninsured: Systems, Policies, Practices and their Consequences, February 12, 2010 (.pdf).
- Highlights: February 12, 2010 Research Conference on Healthcare for the Uninsured and Undocumented (.pdf).
- Tackling Barriers to Health Equity: The Uninsured (.pdf). Presentation by Linda Gardner at March 4, 2010 Ontario Hospital Association conference on Health Equity and Diversity: Ensuring Quality in Healthcare.
- Qualitative Research Project on Health-Care Access for the Uninsured (.pdf)
- Fact Sheet #1: Common Health Issues of the Undocumented and Uninsured (.pdf)
- Fact Sheet #2: Barriers to Accessing Healthcare (.pdf)
- Fact Sheet #3: Policy Recommendations (.pdf)
- Fact Sheet #4: Information Needs (.pdf)
- Seeking Solutions Programme Agenda (.pdf) – Linking Ethics, Research Evidence and Policy-Practice Change – Feb. 21 & 22, 2012
- Seeking Solutions Symposium 2012 Report – Linking Ethics, Research Evidence and Policy-Practice Change – Feb. 21 & 22, 2012