Ontario’s healthcare system faces growing pressure from ED backlogs, physician shortages and a rising demand for mental health and social services. In the meantime, Flemingdon Health Centre (FHC) has steadily built an integrated model of care over the last 50 years, addressing the complexity, resilience, and diversity of the community it serves.
In a city as culturally diverse and fast-growing as Toronto, access to wraparound support has never been more essential. The health centre’s approach has evolved to weave together healthcare with social support and a deep commitment to equity.
This past winter, as FHC marked its 50th anniversary, it launched The Thorncliffe Park Community Hub in partnership with The Neighbourhood Organization (TNO) and Michael Garron Hospital. The model is a collaborative and transformational response that offers individuals and families convenient access to co-located programs and services.
The Hub evolved around a longstanding collaboration and a shared vision between the three trusted community organizations, united under one roof. Here, residents access primary healthcare, mental health supports, food programs, health education, English-as-a-Second-Language classes, employment counselling, legal services, midwifery, home care, dental services and newcomer settlement support as part of a seamless, integrated experience.
The Hub model of care delivery is uniquely suited to this community because it does so much more than just respond to illness. It recognizes unique challenges, tackling the root causes of illness and disease addressing social determinants of health such as housing, food insecurity, income, language proficiency, racism, and social isolation.
“The cooperation and collaboration our organizations have harnessed to make the Thorncliffe Park Community Hub a reality is a transformational solution to the challenges facing so many urban neighbourhoods,” says Jennifer Quinlan, CEO of FHC. “Together with our community partners, we are building upon FHC’s tradition by eliminating barriers and building a system that truly reflects the community’s needs and strengths.”
Under Quinlan’s leadership, FHC nurtures a collaborative, equity-focused model that eliminates silos, making people the focus of care. Always with an eye to the future and upstream thinking, Quinlan sees the Hub model of care delivery as responsive, scalable, and replicable.
Quinlan’s upstream approach is grounded in building consensus that recognizes and invests in local strengths. “FHC has a 50-year tradition as a natural gathering place, acting as a source of support for so many families. This tradition brings the Hub to life, along with our cherished community partners as a milestone on our journey,” she says.
According to the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), community-based primary healthcare organizations serve patients with more complex needs than other models, and overall, they achieve better outcomes. By coordinating and integrating care founded on trust, there is less fragmentation, which helps people stay healthier and out of hospital emergency rooms. In turn, this improves both patient experience and health system sustainability. (Alliance for Healthier Communities, “Investing in Primary Health Care,” 2023)
The numbers can be compelling, but stories like Noel’s bring the value of this work to life. As a newcomer from the Philippines, he walked through FHC’s doors for the first time in 1975. He is still a client and has benefitted from consistent, compassionate care, with only three family doctors over 50 years.
Years ago, his physician noticed something unusual during a routine visit. Although Noel felt great, had no symptoms, and was doing 50 push-ups a day at the time, his doctor referred him to a cardiologist. The resulting bypass surgery saved his life. Throughout his recovery, he benefited from a full circle of care, relying on FHC’s dietitians, prevention programs, and follow-up care to regain his strength and return to wellness.
As a way of giving back, Noel became an FHC Board member nine years ago. In his role, he supported FHC’s strategy to embrace innovative solutions, including the Hub model that continues to serve newcomers in the same way he was supported when he first came to Canada.
The Thorncliffe Park Community Hub proves what’s possible when health and social systems work together to remove silos and focus on community-specific solutions that deliver care that’s connected, inclusive, and ready for the future.
As the demand for primary care continues to grow, the Hub isn’t just a milestone for this community; it’s a model for other healthcare systems. FHC’s 50-year legacy of community-led care and partnership is a blueprint for what the health system needs – disease prevention, strategic partnership, and equity in action.
The time for integrated, upstream solutions is now. Noel reminds what the Hub model brings, saying, “You belong here. We’ve got you.”
By Helen Reilly
Written by Helen Reilly, Pages for Good, on behalf of Flemingdon Health Centre.
