More than 1,700 of our members in Toronto Public Health go to work to keep our city thriving. We address urgent health needs and provide medical and mental health support for our city’s most vulnerable residents every day. We know that’s worth the work.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we learned first-hand how quickly outbreaks can spiral out of control. That’s why we not only respond to outbreaks swiftly and responsibly, we work to prevent the spread of infectious disease through monitoring and immunization.
Clinics run by members like Lisa are often the first place people go when they need care. Now unlivable wages and unsustainable conditions are forcing many caregivers to leave the city to continue the work they love.
Preventative health care reduces both the risks and the costs to our community. As the addiction crisis has exploded in our city, our members have been working to protect people and neighbourhoods from the impacts through education and intervention, along with administering life-saving medication when its needed.
Members like Ashley care for a segment of our city’s population often overlooked but growing every day. In these jobs, prevention doesn’t just save lives: it saves critical resources that can be used to help even more people.
To ensure we can feel safe eating, shopping and living in our communities, members inspect thousands of restaurants, businesses and construction sites every year. But in a city growing faster every day, we aren’t getting the support we need to keep up.
Elizabeth
Public Health Inspector
When nothing happens, we’ve done a good job. As an inspector, you’re a jack-of-all trades, because you respond to complaints about bedbugs, food, mold, pools, rabies, and all kinds of miscellaneous requests. So when we encounter something new, there’s a lot of research we have to do. A lot of collaboration. It’s challenging, but it’s always worth the time and resources to ensure it’s done right.
The City has delayed filling open positions in critically needed jobs in order to cut costs at the expense of services. Public Health workers already stretched thin are now forced to do the jobs of multiple people just to keep up with the need. But if a healthy city is worth it, so are they.
416 977-9546
Keeping Toronto at its best is what gets us up every morning. The work is worth it. And so are we.
