Tax season is upon us and my practice is humming. I am not an accountant, I am a family doctor. My patients are not bank executives, they are largely people who live in poverty, many who are homeless and on social assistance. Yet I have set out to remind my...

In November of 2010, the Ontario government announced a review of the province's social assistance system. Health providers took note. After listening to story after story of the challenges faced by our patients who live under a degrading and inadequate welfare regime, many of us held out hope that a...

Tom, 46 years old and a skilled carpenter, came into my office the other day. He has not worked for the last eight years since he hurt his back in a car accident. He is often depressed and spends days at home, sometimes without leaving his bed. He used up...