"He was a perfect example of what health officials have long called "frequent flyers": patients, usually homeless, who visit the emergency department or get admitted to hospital an inordinate number of times. When Dr. Andrew Boozary and his team at Toronto's University Health Network looked deeper into the issue, they discovered that about 100 patients accounted for more than 4,500 emergency department visits in one year."
"A month-long hospital stay costs the public health system more than $60,000, he said, compared to $15,000 a month to keep a person in a provincial jail and about $6,000 to house someone in a shelter. There had to be a better way, he thought. WATCH | A look at one of Toronto's latest supportive housing initiatives: Toronto is getting new supportive housing that will have doctors on site, mental health resources, as well as food programs."
Jason Miles cycled between prison, the streets, and frequent hospital stays while battling crack and fentanyl addiction, violence, and homelessness. Health officials identified "frequent flyers" who account for disproportionate emergency department use; about 100 patients generated more than 4,500 ED visits in one year. A month-long hospital stay costs over $60,000, versus $15,000 for provincial jail and $6,000 for shelter accommodation. University Health Network partnered with Fred Victor to build a four-storey, 51-unit supportive housing building adjacent to a rehabilitation hospital. Residents sign long-term leases and receive on-site doctors, nurses, social workers, and other supports to stabilize health and reduce acute-care use.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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