Dr. Andrew Boozary: The Need to Recentre Humanity in Healthcare

Health is driven by more than what happens in a clinic or the operating room, it is driven by long-standing system decisions. One of the ways Dr. Andrew Boozary and the UHN are impacting health equity is through the inception of Dunn House, Canada’s first hospital-led supportive housing initiative. This unique model couples health and social care by improving health outcomes for unhoused Torontonians, embedding concreate solutions to UHN’s most vulnerable patients.

“This brings a wholistic approach to healthcare, that it’s not just about access to physicians and nurses, that there’s really a more integrated way to think about health, and Dunn House is real action on that kind of thinking and philosophy.”

In this exciting episode of Healthcare Change Makers, learn more about UHN’s social medicine program, the impact of Dunn house, and the value of partnership with community organizations.

And stay tuned until the end to hear Dr. Boozary’s take on medical TV dramas and which musician helps give him an energy boost.  

Quotables:

“How do we recenter humanity in healthcare for those of us who work in the system, for families, for caregivers, and most ultimately for patients.”

“Health and so much protection in society are system choices or policy choices, and it’s not about individual failures but how resources, protection, power, and privilege, really play roles in worse health outcomes.”

“The idea that some lives matter more than others is the fundamental issue or injustice that we face in the world.”

“Whatever it is that grips you, that you lose sleep over, that makes your blood boil, whatever it is that you feel this sense of injustice, to not lose that feeling and energy, and pursue it however you can.”

“If the University Health Network is really serious (which they are) about advancing health and not being the university healthcare network, but truly about heath, we need to be able to take different approaches in how we reach people… who need it most.”

“Housing and health are inextricably linked.”

“This is what I think is really the secret sauce, is the partnership and the willingness to think differently about the solution – that the band-aid fixes are not going to work. That there is a moral distress that becomes imposed on health workers seeing the same revolving door… and how can we start embedding, building concrete solutions for people.”

“I think it’s really important to shout out the incredible work of community health centres that have been leading social medicine work for 50 years or more.”

“Preventing some of these feelings of despair or burnout is understanding this is part of the work, and how do you hold and create space for some of it, because trying to deny it or push it out or discount it has its own downsides as well.”

“We don’t need a magic wand, we need real investment in people, and that we can see magical outcomes if we actually dedicate that focus.”

Mentioned in this Episode:

·       HIROC’s 2025 Conference, Save the Date

·       University Health Network (UHN)

·       Dr. Kevin Smith

·       UHN’s Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine

·       UHN’s Dunn House

·       Dr. Jeff Turnbull

·       Wendy Muckle

·       Dr. Paul Farmer

·       Emmanuelle Gattuso

·       City of Toronto

·       Fred Victor

·       The United Way

·       Angela Robertson, Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre

·       Camden Coalition

·       Kendrick Lamar

·       The Knick (tv drama)

·       The Pitt (tv drama)

Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at HIROC.com/podcast

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