Local 'SOS' project recognized for outstanding healthcare service

Members of the SOS team celebrating their Ontario Health System Quality and Innovation Award (Source: Grey County/Supplied)

A Grey County-based Supportive Outreach Services (SOS) project was awarded the Ontario Health System Quality and Innovation Award this week for improving healthcare for marginalized people in the region.

The awards are a new annual tradition that recognizes the achievements of individuals and teams in the Ontario healthcare system. The SOS project won the award in the 'Population Health' category.

SOS is a mobile team of healthcare professionals that provides a wide range of services such as addiction medicine, mental health support, food and personal care supplies. The team comprises a paramedic, a nurse practitioner, two mental health counsellors and a social navigator. SOS is supported by more than 20 healthcare partner organizations, including an addictions specialist physician, hospitals, municipalities, police and social services.

From February 2022 to June 2024, SOS reported nearly 4,000 interactions, providing 12,000 services that ranged from meals to medical interventions to referrals to other services.

"Ontario is grappling with numerous health care challenges, including the opioid crisis, mental health issues and homelessness, and chronic diseases," said Kevin McNab, co-chair of the SOS program, in a media release. McNab is also Grey County's director of paramedic services. "SOS faces these challenges from a rural lens, with strategic, patient-centred interventions that are effectively helping patients who face significant barriers to accessing healthcare in traditional ways."

SOS was formed in 2021 after a COVID-19 outbreak at a rooming house in 2021. The county says it highlighted the need to address healthcare equity and healthcare gaps among marginalized individuals.

"The Support Outreach Service (SOS) program has truly revolutionized the way we support our most vulnerable community members," said Francesca Dobbyn, SOS co-chair and executive director of the United Way Grey Bruce, in a media release. "This innovative program is not just changing lives; it's saving them. It serves as a model of compassion and effectiveness for communities across the province, demonstrating how tailored, responsive care can transform the landscape of public health and safety."

The SOS holds clinics weekly in Owen Sound, bi-weekly in Hanover, and monthly in Meaford.