A Message from the
CEO and Board Chair
At Casey House, our team aims to make a client’s entire care experience positive. It’s not just about health outcomes; dignity and humanity are at the heart of everything we do.
In this report, you’ll read about how we embarked on a transformation in program design. This strategy was accompanied by an organizational change and an articulation of our relationship-building approach to care. That approach? Build relationships that enable people living with and at risk of HIV to access and engage in stigma-free health care.
It takes work to form relationships and establish trust. Sometimes, that begins with one conversation, for others it’s remembering their chosen name, months of shared lunches, or attending to a persistent wound.
Even though clients are met with compassion and respect at our hospital it takes time to prove that things are different here. That’s because outside our walls stigma, discrimination, and blind spots on how to serve this population persist.
The people we care for are living with and at higher risk of HIV due to the social determinants of health. Those who face social and structural barriers to health frequently face stigma in health care settings. Read on to learn about Stigmavir, the pill we introduced to smash stigma in health care settings.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support clients to overcome health inequities and access care. Providing stigma-free health care requires authenticity, consistency, and a whole lot of heart.
Joanne Simons
Chief Executive Officer
Victor Ng
Chair, Board of Directors
Re-imagining
Care
With a goal to attend to the health and wellness needs of our diverse population and mitigate for the daily barriers they face outside our walls, Casey House launched a new commitment to client-informed, best practice program design.
Titled Re-imagining Care, Casey House is redesigning programs and services to increase our ability to meet clients’ needs. The three phases of this work are: Imagine- Transform- Sustain
Imagine
Whether a new service or an established one, the design is informed by feedback from clients, peers, staff, and volunteers. This co-design process helps everyone see one another’s perspectives as they play out in a service, those providing and those receiving. It also leads to outcomes designed around shared goals of easy access, good experience, and positive health and wellness outcomes.
Transform
Bringing the designed, or re-designed, service to life by collaboratively implementing its co-designed features. Possible future states are tested and refined, followed by a service launch. Key performance indicators are developed for service delivery to tell us whether we are achieving our objectives and clients’ health goals.
Sustain
The final phase is about iterative learning and adapting as service delivery continues.
We are excited about this work, which helps our team adapt traditional structures for providing health care to a non-traditional client population.
ACCESS
EXPERIENCE
OUTCOMES
Accreditation Canada’s Stamp of approval
In May, we welcomed Accreditation Canada for Casey House’s first Qmentem survey of the hospital’s ongoing and continuous improvement in service delivery, safety, and our learning culture.
Two surveyors visited every area of the hospital during their in-depth on-site assessment as they followed clinical and administrative processes over the course of a week.
The vast majority of hospitals in Canada are accredited and our results were extraordinary, especially for a first assessment: Casey House met over 99% of the criteria we were assessed against and achieved Accredited with Commendation status.
Photos: Scott Norsworthy
The surveyors mentioned client engagement: how our clients feel Casey House is their home, that they feel safe and part of their care and decision-making. Our supervised consumption services (SCS) was also highlighted as something innovative and courageous we have done for clients.
The positive results confirm that as a sub-acute hospital we have things in place that keep staff and clients safe, that we are on the right track delivering excellent care, and that we look for opportunities to improve that care.
Care on both the inpatient and ambulatory units is very people-centred. The staff are proud to show off the areas that have been improved by hearing the client voice. Client and family input has been instrumental in the design of space and programs, and this continues to be evaluated every day. Feedback is always welcome and taken into consideration.
Excerpt from Accreditation Canada report
Meet Bert
A client since January 2023, Bert* learned about Casey House and became curious about our harm reduction kits when friends were receiving medicine here. One of those friends introduced him to a harm reduction worker, who conducted an intake interview and told him about our supervised consumption services (SCS). Bert was excited to learn about supervised inhalation, since he does not want to create unsafe situations by inhaling substances in washrooms or public parks.
As someone who self-medicates his chronic conditions, he does not like the public’s stigmatizing perceptions against people who use substances.
Bert highlights the quality of care from staff as being a major asset unique to Casey House. He feels confident that if he overdosed, our monitoring staff would help him reverse it. Additionally, he appreciates our team’s strong emphasis on non-judgmental care for people who do not plan on becoming sober, and the peace of mind knowing that if an individual did want to stop using substances, someone would be there to help start a game plan with them.
Bert feels the Casey House team really meets clients where they are on their health care journeys. Once he was comfortable, one of our social workers introduced him to other outpatient offerings beyond the SCS, including a referral for housing support, support to reclaim his ID, and income tax support services, which was a pleasant surprise for him. Bert felt more empowered after being treated with dignity, and genuine interest by our staff, in an unpatronizing manner.
*Bert is a pseudonym for a client who wishes to be identified by the initials B.S.
Outpatient clients who use substances can benefit from our harm reduction programming beyond the SCS and distribution of supplies, including drop-in groups, and the option to meet with an addictions physician to talk about substance use-related care.
As family members, volunteers, and donors, Craig and Kristin Shannon are dear friends of Casey House.
David’s Disco is named for Craig’s brother, David Shannon, who was a journalist and HIV activist who also loved a good party. He died at Casey House in 2018.
Craig and Kristin recount how impressed David’s family was by the staff’s empathetic and compassionate care. They were inspired to return to Casey House after his death to discuss how they could give back to, and thank, the hospital for how they were treated.
The couple became co-chairs and founders of what has become one of the Foundation’s marquee fundraisers, David’s Disco.
They both express how fulfilling it is to work with the Foundation team and the David’s Disco volunteer committee. And mention the positive response they receive upon approaching their community of friends, colleagues, and business contacts for support.
After two years of incredible success, what motivates them to stay involved?
“The great need in our communities continues and we’re very well positioned to help”
Craig and Kristin Shannon
Craig has even expanded his involvement by becoming a member of the Foundation committee of the hospital’s board of directors.
The family and friends David left behind are committed to ensuring the kind of health care they received at Casey House continues to be available to others, whenever they might need it.
Additional
Accomplishments
Designed
Re-designed the reception space at our main entrance to create a more inviting first impression. The client-informed design is more accessible and more inviting. The first few minutes of someone’s experience is vital, particularly for people who have had negative experiences with the health care system, like many of our clients
Quilt visits
ROM
Casey House’s 1991 memorial quilt was part of Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Quilts: Made in Canada, which included 20 examples of quilting from the 1850s to the present. What a privilege to have a work that honours Casey House clients shown at such a prestigious institution.
An accompanying virtual panel discussion, Quilting for a Cause, about how quilts have the power to build resonating narratives featured Glenn Bell, a member of the Casey House quilting committee.
Awarded
Casey House staff won awards
Physician Trevor Morey for Excellence in Research (Early Career Researcher) from the University of Toronto’s department of family and community medicine
Chief medical officer Edward Kucharski for Excellence in Social Responsibility from the University of Toronto’s department of family and community medicine
Physiotherapist
Carolann Murray received the Elisse Zack Award for Excellence in HIV and Rehabilitation from Realize
Latinos Positivos recognized Blue Door Clinic lead Sarah Ionson with a community ally award and director of service design Alessandro Bisignano for leadership on the steering committee
Installed
Installed a new land acknowledgement prominently displayed in the glass vestibule at our front door in collaboration with our Indigenous advisory group, including a graphic of an eagle feather we use for smudging.
Marched in Toronto’s Pride parade with clients, volunteers, donors, staff, and friends
Host of Blue Door Clinic, which provides interim health care and social supports for people living with HIV in the greater Toronto area who do not have health insurance coverage or access to HIV medication
Launched
a Trans Health Hub, which started with a new transgender advisory group that is looking at the needs for health care access and navigation
Generates
LCBO’s Love Pairs With Everything Pride campaign generates $250,000 for Casey House
Installed
Installed SASSY (safely access services and supplies for you), two harm reduction vending machines that distribute free sexual health supplies, clean needles, pipes, naloxone, and other supplies for safer drug use, as well as help to access local resources
Awarded five recipients Casey Awards.
Find photos and read a tribute to each recipient at caseyhouse.caseyhouse.ca:
Leadership in HIV/AIDS or social justice
- John McCullagh
- Deborah Norris
- HYPE Program (AIDS committee of Durham)
Volunteer
- Shirley Young
Philanthropist
- Paul Austin
Debuted
a new memorial quilt – The volunteer quilting committee completed a beautiful quilt honouring clients who passed away in 2012
Celebrated
Celebrated Casey House lead founder and nationally acclaimed journalist June Callwood’s 100th birthday, remembering her words, “We are all capable of a bit more humanity than we can imagine.”
Kicked Off
NERD
Partnered
with Dr. Peter Centre to present at CAHR
Held
Held the final June’s HIV+ Eatery. The last fantastic food-based fundraiser for the Foundation raised just shy of $195,000 in support of care for our clients.
June’s HIV+ Eatery wasn’t just a dining experience; it was a movement that challenged stigma and sparked conversations that matter. Every shared meal was an act of solidarity, a reminder that food can bring people together and break down barriers. Its legacy lives on in the way it changed perceptions and created space for dialogue. June’s HIV+ Eatery showed that advocacy can be creative, joyful, and deeply human—and that gathering around a table can nourish both body and change.
Attends
Staff attend AIDS 2024, the International AIDS Conference in Munich, Germany
Premiered
A co-production of Casey and Diana by Nick Green ran at Theatre Aquarius, Hamilton and Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Winnipeg; Neptune and the play about our most famous visitor was published
Launched
an online incident reporting and management tool available to all staff to report and track incident follow-up actions, and assist with root cause analysis
Launched
Surpassed
Positively Speaking, our two-season, 12-episode podcast surpassed 5,000 downloads. It’s an incredible vehicle for sharing diverse and compelling stories from people living with HIV. Find it on our website here.
Positively Speaking, our two-season, 12-episode podcast surpassed 5,000 downloads. It’s an incredible vehicle for sharing diverse and compelling stories from people living with HIV. Find it on our website here.
Financial Highlights
Hospital spending of grants from Casey House Foundation
Hospital operating expenses
Basic operating costs are funded by Ontario’s Ministry of Health.
Generous Donations
to Casey House Foundation
Transform lives and
health care through
compassion and social justice
We rely on the generous donations of our supporters to enhance our health care programs and capital projects.
Support
Casey House today
416-962-7600 | 119 Isabella Street, Toronto, ON M4Y 1P2
Charitable Registration No. 10687 8374 RR0001
Casey House acknowledges that the land we are built upon is the ancestral territory of the Indigenous People of Turtle Island.