Wellesley Institute works in research and policy to improve health and health equity in the GTA through action on the social determinants of health.
The COVID-19 crisis has resulted in unprecedented job and benefits loss for workers, and its full effect on the economy still remains to be seen. Pharmacare is crucial not only for health and equity in Canada but may also hold promise for economic health. As we slowly move into a post-pandemic economy, the implementation of […]
Continue ReadingPharmacare: essential to our health and economy
The federal government has spoken out against the “politics of cruelty” of the Ontario government’s reduction of workers’ rights. For Canadians and Ontarians who are tired of bickering politicians, this might just feel like another political fistfight. However, moving beyond the distraction of pre-election politics, we shouldn’t forget that protecting basic workers’ rights is a […]
Continue Reading(Not) Playing Politics: Workers’ Rights Matter for Health
As researchers, we often ask people to share their experiences through interviews, focus groups, and surveys. This think piece draws on existing literature to examine not only whether payment should be used, but how it should be used to ensure that research participants are compensated in a fair and inclusive way.
Continue ReadingConsiderations for Compensating Research Participants Fairly & Equitably Download PublicationFair compensation – Think Piece
Wellesley Institute conducted this survey to understand current payment practices among health researchers in the Greater Toronto Area with the aim of identifying good payment practices for equitable and ethical research.
Continue ReadingCompensating Research Participants: A Survey of Current Practices in Toronto Download PublicationFair compensation – Report
There have been a number of recent cases of Toronto-area hospitals denying OHIP registration to newborns of parents who do not have permanent resident status. Universal healthcare has been a point of Canadian pride for decades, yet some of our most vulnerable are left without the most basic of coverage, making them susceptible to negative […]
Continue ReadingEnsuring Equitable Access to OHIP Registration for Newborns Download PublicationEquitable Access to OHIP Registration for Newborns
When examining the recent cases of Toronto-area hospitals denying OHIP registration to newborns of parents who do not have permanent resident status, Wellesley Institute wanted to better understand the legal rights around qualifying for newborn health coverage. This think piece examines and unpacks the current legal framework outlining eligibility for newborns and identifies gaps between […]
Continue ReadingUsing the Law to Advance Health Equity: OHIP Eligibility of Ontario-born Babies of Uninsured Parents Download PublicationOHIP Eligibility of Ontario-born Babies of Uninsured Parents
Understanding people’s lived experience plays an important role in developing good policy to improve health and health equity in the GTA. When conducting research, we often ask people to participate in interviews, focus groups, and surveys. We ask them to make time in their lives to share often very personal experiences. Their contribution is vital. […]
Continue ReadingPaying research participants: what’s the right amount?
New permanent residents are unable to receive public coverage for essential health care (OHIP) within their first three months in Ontario. This policy brief brings together research evidence on the impacts of the three-month wait and identifies options to improve access to health care for new Ontarians. Wellesley Institute’s Policy Briefs draw on our research […]
Continue ReadingThe OHIP Three Month Wait – Policy Brief Download Publication3MonthWaitPolicyBrief
Community Health Centres (CHCs) are well-positioned as advocates for health equity in Toronto due to their unique model of care. CHCs use advocacy strategies in two ways: they advocate for policy change and they integrate advocacy into service delivery. Their capacity to advocate for policy change is however constrained by a lack of dedicated resources, […]
Continue ReadingMaking Room for Health Equity: The role of CHCs in advocacy Download PublicationMaking Room for Health Equity
On February 9th, the Wellesley Institute and the Health Network for Uninsured Clients held a full day symposium which brought together settlement workers, researchers, policy makers, politicians, funders, and a range of health care providers to discuss current research, practice and policy opportunities to improve access to health care for uninsured clients and to realize […]
Continue ReadingNow is the Time: Improving Access to Health Care for People Without Insurance
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We would like to acknowledge this sacred land on which the Wellesley Institute operates. It has been a site of human activity for 15,000 years. This land is the territory of the Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. The territory was the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy and Confederacy of the Ojibwe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes.
Today, the meeting place of Toronto is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work in the community, on this territory.
Revised by the Elders Circle (Council of Aboriginal Initiatives) on November 6, 2014
In the spirit of equity and inclusion, if we can improve on this statement, please contact us. Thank you.