The best medicine for social change
Photographer: Shawn McPherson, 2010
Dr. David Payne and Barbara Payne believe they can make people healthier by supporting stronger social services and public infrastructure.
Dr. David Payne, an oncologist at Princess Margaret Hospital, is familiar with causality. He and his wife Barbara strongly believe the same thinking applies to social problems our city faces every day.
"Social issues have a bigger effect on things around us than we think," says Payne. "Many health issues, especially among the disadvantaged, are rooted in social conditions. The social determinants of health are huge."
The work United Way does in the 13 priority neighbourhoods reflects that way of thinking. "My quality of life doesn't depend on my personal health, but on societal health. If more of us thought that way, we'd have a healthier city for everyone who lives here."
The Paynes believe they can make people healthier by supporting stronger social services and public infrastructure. United Way's assistance to social agencies at the neighbourhood level provides equal opportunities. "More of us need to realize that the health and wealth of the most challenged impacts all of us. These need to be seen through a personal lens. What we want as a society is more equality. When we all 'get it', we can all do it."
