‘In Dialogue’ Episode 9: Dr. Jonathan Wong

In episode nine of “In Dialogue,” CPSO Senior Communications Advisor Mark Sampson speaks to Dr. Jonathan Wong, a family physician with Inner City Health Associates and program lead for the Street Clinical Outreach for Unsheltered Torontonians (SCOUT) about providing health care to unhoused and precariously housed populations, building trust within the community, and the system issues revealed during the pandemic.

This is part one of our two-part conversation with Dr. Wong, a.k.a. Dr. Johnny as he’s known amongst his colleagues and clients. He’s dedicated his career to working with people experiencing homelessness in the Greater Toronto Area, working almost exclusively with Inner City Health Associates since completing his residency. He works at a drop-in shelter, performs street medicine and works closely with the Seeds of Hope, CPSO’s chosen charity for three years, providing health care to folks using their services. He emphasizes the criticalness of trust and relationship building with this particular population, as well as ensuring the care they receive is dignified and allows them to maintain autonomy.

Check out part two of our conversation with Dr. Johnny, in which he discusses the correlation between housing and healthcare, the importance of follow-up and continuity in care, and widespread system issues affecting patient health outcomes.

Related eDialogue Articles 

• Unhoused 
• ‘In Dialogue’ Episode 11: System barriers in caring for unhoused populations
• ‘In Dialogue’ Episode 7: Dr. Ritika Goel 

CPSO Resources 

• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion 

Additional Resources 

• Inner City Health Associates

  • Street Clinical Outreach for Unsheltered Torontonians 

• Seeds of Hope