Healthcare

The hospital-centric approach in the first wave made sense. The second wave, however, needs a more thoughtful approach. The majority of care happens in the community. Family doctors alone provide two-thirds of all health-care visits — not to mention the care done by other community-based physicians, including specialists, those providing diagnostic services, and other health professionals.

The process would see emergency room staff contact the program's team when such an individual is discharged from hospital. The team would then guide that person through the various systems in place to find them housing, detox, drug treatment and finally addiction-free housing.