Social and environmental determinants of health

Sudbury’s only sanctioned supervised consumption site (SCS) – formally called Minoogawbi, La Place, The Spot and informally known as The Spot – was forced to close its doors at the end of March. The city terminated its funding of the site at the end of December 2023, suggesting the province step in.

Federal minister of health Mark Holland introduced Bill C-64, An Act respecting pharmacare, in the House of Commons on Feb. 29, 2024. This initial stage of national pharmacare – which RNAO has long advocated – will include coverage for contraception and diabetes medications, once provinces sign on to the plan.

NP Beth Hayhoe has been volunteering with Toronto’s Yonge Street Mission for nearly 30 years. The organization recently spent $3 million to expand its health and dental centre for youth in the city’s downtown neighbourhood.

I am proud of the fact that MPPs always answer the call to meet with RNAO members when we ask for their time. We should all take a moment to reflect on what this says about nurses and about RNAO’s influence. Put simply: our association matters.

In September, RNAO sent a letter to the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP), which represents nurses and other workers in the hospital and community   sectors, urging that it immediately stop any new investments in fossil fuels

I am writing this column just weeks after our in-person Annual General Meeting (AGM).

Rosanra (Rosie) Yoon’s earliest childhood memories harken back to her days accompanying her mother on the streetcar for monthly visits to Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital. From the age of four to eight, she was scared and nervous on these outings, but as soon as she saw her mother’s nurse, she felt safe.