Dr. Peter Centre Announces National Growth and Key Leadership Appointments to Address Complex Frontline Healthcare Challenges

VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 8, 2024 /CNW/ - The Dr. Peter Centre, a pioneer in frontline healthcare, today announced significant steps in expanding its national impact, including key leadership appointments and funding for strategic initiatives.

Expanding National Impact

For nearly three decades, the Dr. Peter Centre has been at the forefront of innovative healthcare, offering a unique model that combines comprehensive HIV care with attention to food insecurity, homelessness, mental health, and substance use. The Centre is now taking bold steps to expand its impact nationally to the 2% sidelined by society — the nearly 750,000 Canadians struggling with complex challenges, currently underserved by existing siloed systems.

"Across the country we see the poisoned drug supply crisis worsen; encampments and homelessness deepen. Current approaches are clearly not getting the results we want, and yet there is real hope and there are real solutions." said Scott Elliott, CEO of the Dr. Peter Centre. "We have the vantage point of seeing what works and what doesn't and that is why we're instigating solutions that drive the spread of human-centered care across Canada."

Since 2017, the Vancouver-based Centre has led 15 projects across Canada, collaborating with over 440 frontline organizations across the country. Building on this foundation, the Centre is now implementing a five-year strategic framework to guide its national initiatives.

Strengthening Leadership with Frontline Solutions

As part of its strategic expansion, the Dr. Peter Centre has created a new division called Frontline Solutions. This initiative aims to generate, validate, and amplify solutions for complex care across Canada, leveraging the Centre's extensive experience and innovative approaches to align with other frontline organizations also working with the "2% sidelined by society".

"Conventional solutions are not working, yet the fear of failure and public backlash has paralyzed many organizations, preventing them from creating alternative, innovative ways of addressing these urgent, complex issues," Elliott emphasized. "Frontline organizations like the Dr. Peter Centre are uniquely positioned to take the lead in delivering integrated, compassionate care to marginalized populations. We possess the agility to get ahead of the issue, leveraging our deep understanding of our client's needs to help heal our communities."

Investing in Results

As part of this national expansion, the Centre has appointed Jason Altenberg as its first Chief Operating Officer. Altenberg, former CEO of South Riverdale Community Health Centre, brings three decades of visionary community and health services innovation to the role. He is nationally recognized for establishing culturally responsive, integrated community health services.

Reflecting on his appointment, Altenberg stated, "This role will continue to connect the excellence of the 'Campus of Care' in Vancouver to our national frontline solutions. I started my career in Vancouver back in the early 1990s when HIV/AIDS along with an early wave of potent opioids was creating chaos in communities. Those early experiences offering crisis support services shaped my career and my life. I am grateful to be able to work for an organization that shares the values that guide my practice."

In addition to Altenberg's appointment, the Centre has strategically appointed Rosalind Baltzer Turje (Director of Clinical Innovation) and Patrick McDougall (Director of Knowledge Innovation) to key leadership positions designed to drive forward the Centre's national strategies and innovation.

These programs are supported in part by the federal government and in part through private donors. The Affirmation Fund, established by Shirley Young—Dr. Peter Jepson-Young's mother—before her passing, has raised over $1.4 million dedicated to the continuation and expansion of national work, which underscores the private sector's confidence in the Centre's vision.

The Dr. Peter Centre believes that bringing together all levels of government, corporate and community donors is key to establishing resilient, sustainable funding structures that promote equitable prosperity.

Looking Ahead

"Our experience demonstrates that turning chaos into community isn't just possible, it's essential. By unifying frontline organizations, driving human-centred care models and co-creating funding effectiveness, we can drive real, sustainable change and transform a fragmented system into integrated care," Elliott concluded.

For more information about the Dr. Peter Centre and its national initiatives, please visit drpeter.org

About the Dr. Peter Centre:

The Dr. Peter Centre is a healthcare organization located in Vancouver, BC, dedicated to providing compassionate care and support to individuals living with complex health conditions such as HIV/AIDS, mental health challenges, substance use and homelessness. Through a holistic approach that includes medical care, counseling, and therapeutic activities, the Centre continues to advocate for "the 2%"—those in our population who are sidelined by society—offering a safe and inclusive environment for healing and connection.

Find the link to the original press release here.