US EditionPreventable Cold-Related Deaths Take Toll on Ontario's Homeless Population, Hospital Staff
St. Michael's Hospital saved four patients near death from hypothermia and partners with Haven shelter to keep more people warm amid packed Toronto shelters, data shows rising cold injuries.
- St. Michael's Hospital partnered with the nearby Haven shelter to provide safe discharge options for vulnerable patients, addressing emergency rooms becoming de facto shelters.
- Dr. Stephen Hwang of the MAP Centre at St. Michael's Hospital found a 46 per cent increase in cold-related emergency visits by homeless people last winter. Shelters are frequently packed, leaving hospitals with few discharge options.
- Data from the Office of the Chief Coroner show 90 hypothermia-related deaths in 2022, the highest number in four years. Within two months, the hospital helped 76 individuals stay warm by sending them to Haven.
- "We take a pause at the end of the case and just acknowledge that there's a human here," said Dr. Evelyn Dell, an emergency physician. Teams work for hours on each patient, taking a heavy emotional toll on healthcare workers.
- Sanctuary Ministries outreach worker Greg Cook said "The sad thing is the solution is simple: shelter and more affordable housing." Cook emphasizes that preventing the cold from killing people remains a priority.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Cold-related deaths among Toronto's homeless population are preventable and take toll on hospital staff
Many Toronto hospitals' emergency rooms become de facto shelters for those who do not have a home. No doctor wants to discharge a patient into the cold, especially at night in the heart of winter. So St. Michael's Hospital figured out a solution: a partnership with a nearby shelter, Haven.
Preventable cold-related deaths take toll on Ontario's homeless population, hospital staff
Seven times over the past two winters, doctors, nurses and staff in the emergency department of a downtown Toronto hospital took a moment of silence after a patient, often a Jane or John Doe, died from the cold.
The Toronto Star
Preventable cold-related deaths take toll on Ontario’s homeless population, hospital staff
TORONTO - Seven times over the past two winters, doctors, nurses and staff in the emergency department of a downtown Toronto hospital took a moment of silence after a patient,
Preventable cold-related deaths take toll on Ontario’s homeless population, hospital staff – 105.9 The Region
TORONTO — Seven times over the past two winters, doctors, nurses and staff in the emergency department of a downtown Toronto hospital took a moment of silence after a patient, often a Jane or John Doe, died from the cold. Clinically, it is known as severe accidental hypothermia, and it usually affects the city’s homeless population. The staff at St. Michael’s Hospital are on the front lines of caring for many who live on the street. It is sad an…
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