Funding shortfalls keeping this London clinic from helping more low-income families

Dr. Brenna Kaschor has watched firsthand as gaps in the province's healthcare system worsen alongside an increased need for social services that aren't covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), leaving many low-income patients scrambling.

That's why the London family doctor started Grounded Roots, Open Wings (G.R.O.W.), a non-profit health clinic offering those extra services to young families, first-time parents, and patients with complex needs, who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford them.

But Kaschor predicts she may not be able to provide that support for much longer as the registered charity grapples with funding challenges that will likely force her to scale back on supports like postpartum counselling, breastfeeding support, systems navigation, and others.

"We're getting to a point where the cost of things are just way outpacing the amount that we can bill through OHIP and the funding that we get through that," Kaschor said. "We had to close intake in August because we were getting dozens of new families per week, but we don't have capacity."

Although Kaschor has applied for 15 different grants, G.R.O.W is in what she calls "an in-between space," where social service agencies can't help them because they're a health-care organization, and health grants won't fund them because the services they offer aren't covered by OHIP.

Since launching in 2021, Kaschor and her staff have treated more than 4,000 families in the London area and 1,800 kids under the age of five. If they can't waive costs for certain treatment options, her team connects patients to other providers who do it for free or at a low cost. 

Most of her patient demographic is low-income families or newcomers without a family doctor, Kaschor said.

"Anyone who's been to the doctor knows that it's hard to get a family doctor and when you do get one, it's hard to get in to see them. When you finally do get to see them, you only have one issue per visit," she said. 

Clinic helps new parents cope

The lack of a family doctor is what drew Cameron Braada and his wife Cynthia Alico to the clinic. Their daughter Mary was born with jaundice along with unrelated issues that caused her to struggle with breastfeeding.

"Not only did the clinic identify the problem, but they also gave my wife assistance and training sessions on how to breastfeed properly," said Braada. 

"Since then, we haven't had to buy any formula so it's not only saved us a lot of money, but it made our baby a lot happier and healthier."

The first-time parents believe if it wasn't for G.R.O.W, they would be without adequate support. Learning that the clinic will reduce some of the services that helped them was shocking, according to Braada.

"Health care providers go above and beyond and it's an absolute shame to see them cut services like this which is what people really need, especially with the economy right now," he said.

Many patients have complex family structures and environments that contribute to the physical illnesses they deal with and a traditional primary care model doesn't work for everyone, said Kaschor. 

"Medication and tests are obviously help but that's not what makes a difference," she said. "It's figuring out what the root cause is so not only can they recover, but we can ensure they don't develop more issues down the road."

If G.R.O.W can't sustain its resources, Kaschor worries there will be a lot more families ending up in already strained emergency departments and urgent care clinics, leaving them with inconsistent care.