How Canadian hospitals are trying to break the cycle of readmissions for homeless patients – CTV
July 01, 2025
TORONTO — April Aleman tracks the Uber she ordered for her 82-year-old client as it makes its way to a public health building on a quiet street tucked away from the bustle of downtown Toronto.
When the vehicle arrives, Aleman unpacks a walker from the trunk and greets the woman with a warm familiarity. She slows her pace to match her client’s as they make their way into the clinic and approach the front desk.
“Hello, we have a dentist appointment,” Aleman tells the receptionist while helping the woman rummage through her purse to find a health card.
They sit side-by-side on plastic chairs in a near-empty waiting room, leaning towards each other to complete paperwork on a clipboard.
“Do you have an emergency contact you want to put down?” Aleman, a homeless outreach counsellor at St. Michael’s Hospital, asks, pen in hand.
“No, just you people,” her client quips, and they both laugh.
