Spectrum Brings Care to the Community with WTOHT iHelp Centre Program

When David, a resident of a 600+ person high-rise in the West end of Toronto, felt noticeably unwell one day, he was able to take a unique route to seeking care – a visit to the nurse located directly in his building. After a quick exam at the on-site clinic, the nurse noted that David’s blood pressure levels were dangerously high and promptly called an ambulance to transport him to hospital for potentially life-saving emergency care.

“Sometimes, just having someone there who knows what to do makes all the difference,” exclaims David. “If it hadn’t been for the nurse, I might not be here today.“

That nurse was Olena Totska, RPN – a Spectrum Health Care employee with 16 years of experience as a Community Visiting Nurse, who is currently playing an important role in the West Toronto Ontario Health Team (WTOHT)-led iHelp Centres program.

Launched in October 2024, iHelp Centres are designated spaces in Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) buildings designed to support health equity and bring important services to the doorstep of tenants and area residents. A partner organization and member of WTOHT, Spectrum is proud to offer nursing services at the iHelp Centre at 100 High Park Avenue in Toronto – where Olena is stationed once a week – improving health outcomes and enhancing the community’s overall wellbeing.

Every week Olena spends 4 hours at the West-end iHelp centre offering holistic healthcare services from wellness to health education, to preventative care – including assessments for preventive home care needs and safety, collaborating with Ontario Health atHome to ensure the proper level of support.

True to the Spectrum values, Olena approaches the role with compassion and dedication – actively building trusted relationships with tenants, working to understand potential health barriers, and connecting people with relevant health services and wraparound supports. These supports – including social workers, grief and bereavement services, holistic body therapy, community organizations and Ontario Health at Home Care Coordinators -- are all members of the vibrant iHelp Centres team, readily available for referral or digitally enabled communications through the Hypercare collaboration platform.

Accommodating four to six patient visits per clinic day in addition to drop-in visits, community resident relationship building, the impact of Olena’s work through this program is acutely felt by a growing number of tenants – enhancing their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

Brenda is one such tenant.

“After I got hit by a car, everything changed. I had to use a wheelchair, had severe bruising, pain, and was wearing a boot on my leg. I could barely manage on my own,” she explains. “Olena came to my unit and helped me with things I couldn’t do – changing my dressings, helping with my boot, making sure I was healing properly. That kind of care is rare, and it made me feel like I wasn’t alone. Having the nurse come to me brought me real comfort when I was at my lowest point.”

Other residents credit the iHelp Centre as being a critical lifeline in times of grief – offering group grief counseling and art therapy sessions that bring residents together to heal.

“Dealing with health issues and the loss of my spouse, I felt like I was falling apart. The iHelp Centre gave me more than just healthcare, it gave me hope,” explains Rosemary. “In addition to working with Olena and the community health navigator to support my physical recovery, I started attending grief and bereavement counselling at the Centre. It’s helped me so much. I’m meeting people, I’m healing, and for the first time in a long time, I feel supported in my own building.”

“WTOHT’s iHelp Centres were co-designed with residents to ensure services are aligned with their needs. By bringing together a network of diverse community partners, the Centres create a collaborative space to deliver more connected, responsive, and seamless health and social care experiences,” explains Chantel Marshall, Executive Director, Integrated Health Systems & Partnerships.“Directly aligned to Spectrum’s vision to drive equitable, quality healthcare at home, this program demonstrates the power and potential behind a holistic, innovative, one-team healthcare approach that brings the best possible care into a community.”

Kashtin Fitzsimons, Director, West Toronto Ontario Health Team - WTOHT cites the commitment and collaboration of program partners, like Spectrum, as being key to the success of the iHelp program.

“From the outset of working with tenants and staff at Toronto Community Housing, the goal was clear: to collaboratively design and deliver services that can continue to meet the changing needs of local residents,” he explains. “A founding partner of the iHelp Centre program, Spectrum Health Care has been a key collaborator in bringing vital clinical services that address health concerns, enhance preventative care plans, and ultimately empower clients to achieve their health and wellness goals. As one staff member at TCHC put it: the iHelp Centre is saving lives.”

“The success of this initial implementation has now created the possibility for iHelp Centres to open up across West Toronto and that is in large part thanks to Spectrum Health Care's exceptional service delivery and commitment to collaboration.”