Casey House (Toronto)

Last updated
Casey House
Casey House buildings 1.jpg
The original Casey House on Huntley St.
Toronto map.png
Red pog.svg
Location in Toronto
Geography
Location119 Isabella Street
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M4Y 1P2
Coordinates 43°40′09″N79°22′41″W / 43.6691°N 79.3781°W / 43.6691; -79.3781
Organisation
Funding Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, Private and Corporate Donations (Casey House Foundation)
Type Specialist
Services
Beds14 inpatient
SpecialityHIV AIDS specialty hospital
History
Opened1988
Links
Website http://www.caseyhouse.com/

Casey House is a specialty hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that cares for people living with and at risk of HIV. Casey House provides inpatient and outpatient services and is located in the downtown area, at the corner of Jarvis and Isabella streets. Founded in 1988 by a group of volunteers, journalists, and activists, it was the first specialized facility of its kind in Canada. [1] It is named after Casey Frayne, whose mother June Callwood was one of the principal volunteers whose efforts brought about the founding of the hospital. [2]

Contents

History

Casey House was the first stand-alone hospice for people dying of AIDS in Canada. Aware that community relations would be especially important to establish such an institution in a residential neighborhood, Callwood and other volunteers met with community leaders before the location of the project was announced in 1986, then organized door-to-door visits to provide information to residents. [3]

Work on establishing the hospice first began in October 1986, when June Callwood and other volunteers helped register and incorporate Casey House as a charity. In March 1987, 9 Huntley was purchased and renovated with $1 million from the Ontario Ministry of Health and $500,000 from its first DQ show. By March 1988, Casey House opened its doors. The first client, who was in isolation for months and was delivered to the hospice by medics wearing masks and gowns, was received by Casey House with an embrace. Around this time, the life expectancy of a person diagnosed with AIDS was 9 months. [4] The opening of Casey House marked the first hospice in the world to provide support and palliative care for people with HIV/AIDS, at a time when little was yet known about the disease and the ignorance and fear surrounding it were intense. [5] June's goal for Casey House was to establish a place of medical excellence in the treatment of HIV/AIDS and, most importantly, a place of love and compassion. [5]

When Casey House opened in 1988, its founders expected that a cure for the disease would be found so that it would not be needed in the 21st century. [6] Instead, HIV became more treatable but not curable, so more care was needed. The building has since been transformed from a hospice to a hospital under the Ontario Hospital Act. [4] [6]

The hospice is named for Casey Frayne, who was the son of June Callwood and Trent Frayne. Casey was killed in 1982, at the age of 20, by an impaired driver while riding his motorcycle to university. The tragedy June experienced in losing her son was also shared by Margaret McBurney (one of the principal founders of the facility). Both mothers had lost their sons to impaired drivers and were appalled by society's treatment of people dying from AIDS with no comfort. The facility was named after June's son in memory of the tragedy of losing a young life. [7]

Casey and Diana, a dramatization by playwright Nick Green of the 1991 visit of Diana, Princess of Wales to Casey House, premiered at the 2023 Stratford Festival under the direction of Andrew Kushnir. [8]

Expansion

In 2000, the hospital acquired the 1875 William R. Johnston house that fronts onto Jarvis Street, [9] formerly nicknamed "the Grey Lady" by neighborhood residents due to its grey paint (now removed). [10] In 2015 renovation begun on the existing mansion, to restore its heritage features [6] and to add a large addition to the west. The 1889 coach house at the southwest corner of Huntley and Isabella Streets was demolished to make way for the addition. [11]

In October 2010, with the medical advances of HIV and AIDS, the need arises to care for patients with HIV/AIDS focusing on treating their illness, and not just providing comfort for their last days. A $10 million capital campaign was launched to supplement the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's commitment to fund the construction of an expanded facility. This $10 million campaign was completed in February 2017, by then the campaign was dubbed "Rebuilding Lives Capital Campaign". [4]

When the redevelopment was completed in June 2017, the building itself was renovated as a purpose-built facility and restored heritage house. [4] The redevelopment enables the hospital to more than double its care capacity, including new programs better suited for the new approaches to care required for a more ambulatory and diverse population of people living longer with HIV. [12]

The new [13] 58,000 square foot health care center designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects allows Casey House to expand and improve upon its capacity to provide advanced HIV/AIDS specialty health care services including inpatient, day health care and community care, including outreach. [12]

Day Health Program

On the day of its expansion in 2017, Casey House initiated a program to address the gaps in the care of HIV/AIDS clients. The program focuses on clients who were seen to be well enough to be able to live with HIV/AIDS. The program is designed as one-stop care and treatment for individuals affected by HIV/AIDS by making clinical services and community programs more easily accessible and geared towards a client's treatment. Their underlying focus of reducing patient's isolation and improving their overall health with inclusivity and unequivocal compassion remains much a part of the program as it did from the beginning of Casey House. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Orbinski</span> Canadian physician, humanitarian activist, author and leading scholar in global health

James Jude Orbinski, is a Canadian physician, humanitarian activist, author and leading scholar in global health. Orbinski was the 2016-17 Fulbright Visiting professor at the University of California, Irvine, and as of September 1, 2017, he is professor and inaugural director of the Dahdaleh Institute of Global Health Research at York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was previously the CIGI Chair in Global Health Governance at the Balsillie School of International Affairs and Wilfrid Laurier University (2012-2017), Chair of Global Health at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (2010-2012) and full professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto (2003-2012), where he was the founding Saul Rae Fellow at Massey College. Orbinski's current research interests focus on the health impacts of climate change, medical humanitarianism, intervention strategies around emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, and global health governance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario</span> Hospital in Ontario, Canada

CHEO is a pediatric health-care and research centre located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. CHEO is also a tertiary trauma centre for children in Eastern Ontario, Nunavut, Northern Ontario and the Outaouais region of Quebec and one of only seven Level I trauma centres for children in Canada. It is affiliated with The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa, and is funded by the provincial Government of Ontario. CHEO first opened its doors on May 17, 1974, and is located at 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">June Callwood</span> Canadian journalist, author and social activist (1924 – 2007)

June Rose Callwood, was a Canadian journalist, author and social activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humanist Canada</span>

Humanist Canada is a national not-for-profit charitable organization promoting the separation of religion from public policy and fostering the development of reason, compassion and critical thinking for all Canadians through secular education and community support. Humanist Canada was founded in 1968 and has grown over the past five decades to become Canada’s national voice of Humanism. Humanist Canada is an associate member organization of Humanists International. The official symbol of the organization is a modified Happy Human in a red and blue maple leaf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AIDS Healthcare Foundation</span> Nonprofit organization in Los Angeles

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and advocacy services. As of 2022, it operates about 400 clinics, 69 outpatient healthcare centers, 62 pharmacies, and 22 Out of the Closet thrift stores across 15 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and 45 countries, with more than 5,000 employees, and provides care to more than 1.8 million patients. The organization's aim is to end the AIDS epidemic by ensuring access to quality healthcare, including HIV and STD testing, prescription of medications like Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and referrals to speciality pharmacies. AHF is the largest provider of PrEP in the United States, though its founder Michael Weinstein has received criticism for his past opposition to the drug.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California Medical Facility</span> Prison medical facility in Vacaville, California

California Medical Facility (CMF) is a male-only state prison medical facility located in the city of Vacaville, Solano County, California. It is older than California State Prison, Solano, the other state prison in Vacaville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Callen-Lorde Community Health Center</span> Primary care center in New York City

Callen-Lorde Community Health Center is a primary care center located at 356 West 18th Street in New York City, New York. Callen-Lorde also provides comprehensive mental health services at The Thea Spyer Center, located at 230 West 17th Street. Callen-Lorde is dedicated to providing medical health care to the city's LGBTQ population without regard of ability to pay. It is named in honor of Michael Callen and Audre Lorde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers</span> Former healthcare system in New York, United States

Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers was a healthcare system in New York City, anchored by its flagship hospital, St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitman-Walker Health</span>

Whitman-Walker Health (WWH), formerly Whitman-Walker Clinic, is a non-profit community health center in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area with a special expertise in HIV/AIDS healthcare and LGBT healthcare. Chartered as an affirming health center for the gay and lesbian community in 1978, Whitman-Walker was one of the first responders to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in D.C. and became a leader in HIV/AIDS education, prevention, diagnosis and treatment. In recent years, Whitman-Walker has expanded its services to include primary healthcare services, a stronger focus on queer women's care and youth services.

Siamak Hariri, OAA, AAA, AIBC, FRAIC, RCA, Intl. Assoc. AIA is a Canadian architect and a founding partner of Hariri Pontarini Architects, a full-service architectural and interior design practice based in Toronto, Canada.

Nsambya Home Care (NHC) is one of the departments of Nsambya Hospital, a faith-based hospital in Uganda. The department offers medical and psychosocial support to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs). Established in 1987 by Miriam Duggan, it is a department of St. Francis Hospital Nsambya. Since its founding, NHC has provided care and treatment services to over 15,000 clients. With support from the AIDS Relief program and in collaboration with Catholic Relief Services, the program started providing antiretroviral medications in 2004 and so far close to 2000 active patients are benefiting from treatment. It is headquartered in Nsambya, a section of Kampala, Uganda. A field office of the program is located at Ggaba, a southern suburb of Kampala. NHC is led by Maria Nannyonga Musoke, a consultant paediatrician of Nsambya Hospital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bailey-Boushay House</span>

Bailey-Boushay House, founded June 24, 1992, is an inpatient long-term care facility and outpatient day health program for people with HIV/AIDS in Seattle, Washington, USA. It is an affiliate of Virginia Mason Medical Center.

Anita Rachlis, M.D. is a Canadian HIV/AIDS researcher and is the principal author of the HIV treatment guidelines in Canada. She is an associate scientist at the Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Founded in 1983, AIDS Vancouver (AV) is a non-profit and community-based health organization whose mission is to alleviate collective vulnerability to HIV and AIDS through support, public education and community-based research. The organization exists to both ameliorate the life of persons living with HIV and AIDS, and to prevent the spread of HIV by educational initiatives. Based in Vancouver, it is Canada's oldest and Vancouver's largest HIV and AIDS service organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mazzoni Center</span> Health care provider in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Mazzoni Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit health care provider in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that serves the LGBT community.

Hariri Pontarini Architects is a Toronto-based architectural practice founded by Siamak Hariri and David Pontarini.

David Pontarini, OAA, AAA, FRAIC, AIA is a Canadian architect and founding partner of Hariri Pontarini Architects in 1994, alongside Siamak Hariri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lagos University Teaching Hospital</span> Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria

Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) is a tertiary hospital established in 1961 and is located in Idi-Araba, Surulere, Lagos State, the administrative division of Nigeria. The teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Lagos College of Medicine established in 1962. The University of Lagos College of Medicine educates students and LUTH provides them with experience through placement and work experience.

Jim Bozyk (1954–1990), known professionally as Jim St. James, was a Canadian actor and HIV/AIDS activist. He was best known as the star of a series of public service announcements on AIDS awareness which aired on Canadian television in the 1980s, and as the subject of June Callwood's 1988 book Jim: A Life with AIDS.

The Gift of Peace AIDS Hospice is an AIDS hospice care home that was opened in 1986 by Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity in Northeast Washington, D.C.

References

  1. ↑ "Official web site". 29 May 2021.
  2. ↑ "Who Was Casey?". 29 May 2021.
  3. ↑ Enright, Michael (December 30, 2018) [2011]. The Sunday Edition - December 30, 2018 (Radio interview). CBC. Event occurs at 40:20.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Our history & milestones". 29 May 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Canada's Conscience: A Biography June Callwood, C.C., O.Ont., LL.D." (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-13.
  6. 1 2 3 Patty Winsa (Jun 19, 2012). "Casey House to undergo $36 million renovation and expansion". thestar.com.
  7. ↑ "Who Was Casey?". 29 May 2021.
  8. ↑ Karen Fricker, "‘My mother burst into tears’: Inside ‘Casey and Diana,’ the most moving Canadian play of the year". Toronto Star , June 10, 2023.
  9. ↑ "William R. Johnston House – 571 Jarvis Street". Upper Jarvis Neighbourhood Association. 5 March 2012.
  10. ↑ "The Crane Also Rises: A Tale of Three Toronto Mansions | Urban Toronto". urbantoronto.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-18.
  11. ↑ "WE'RE LOSING AN 1889 COACH HOUSE, BUT GAINING A 50,000 SQ. FT. HIV/AIDS HEALTH CARE FACILITY". Toronto Savvy. 2015-03-26. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  12. 1 2 "An Inspired Plan: Rebuilding the Heart of HIV/AIDS Care".
  13. ↑ "Casey House and Hariri Pontarini Architects Win Prestigious Award". 13 June 2021.
  14. ↑ "Day health program". 13 June 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.