Health on Wheels: Sanguen Healthcare is Changing Lives

Photo © Courtesy of Sanguen Healthcare Centre

Health on Wheels: Sanguen Healthcare is Changing Lives

Healthcare isn’t always easily accessible, especially for individuals without stable housing or those navigating complex health challenges. Sanguen Health Centre, a community-based nonprofit healthcare organization, is changing that.

Sanguen, with a mission of harm reduction and education, has been serving individuals navigating precarious living situations in the Guelph-Wellington and Kitchener-Waterloo regions. Since its launch in 2008, Sanguen has received thousands of visits, each marking an instance of compassionate care, harm reduction, and, in many cases, lives saved.

FROM HOSPITAL HALLS TO COMMUNITY STREETS

In the early 2000s, Dr. Chris Steingart was working as an infectious disease physician at Grand River Hospital. Noticing a troubling rise in hepatitis C cases among the homeless community, Dr. Steingart saw the urgent need for a healthcare model that prioritized prevention and treatment for those at risk.

His vision led to the launch of Sanguen Health Centre, but this was only the first step. Originally established as a hepatitis C clinic, Dr. Steingart quickly realized that gaining the trust of a community required more than opening doors, and that their needs went beyond treatment.

For many individuals, traditional healthcare feels out of reach, whether because of mistrust, stigma, or systemic barriers. Sanguen tackled this challenge head-on by adapting their process to meet people where they are—both literally and figuratively.

In 2015, they launched a Community Health Van that makes several weekly stops throughout the region. This fully equipped van, staffed with an interdisciplinary team, connects community members with harm reduction supplies and also provides support such as naloxone training and distribution, food, clothing, hygiene items, nursing, peer, and social support.

Following the successful launch of the Community Health Van, Sanguen received some funding through Telus to launch a clinic on wheels: The Primary Care Bus. Staffed with a Nurse Practitioner, a Registered Nurse, and two Social Support Workers, the bus offers low-barrier health care to those who are precariously housed or unhoused. The bus is supported by Infectious Disease Physician Dr. Steingart, who offers hepatitis C treatment right off the bus.

At the core of Sanguen’s work is harm reduction—a compassionate and practical approach to drug use that prioritizes safety over judgment. By distributing unused needles, offering overdose prevention training, and teaching people how to use naloxone, they’re equipping community members, shelter workers, and even teens with the tools they need to understand drug use, prevent overdoses, and support those in crisis.

By consistently showing up, Sanguen proves to marginalized communities that someone cares, creating a bridge to healthcare and hope.

A LIFELINE FOR A GROWING CRISIS

Since 2021, the number of people experiencing homelessness has doubled, which makes the need for organizations like Sanguen all the more critical.

Sanguen believes that people, regardless of circumstance, deserve to be treated with respect and to have access to health and social services. Everyone in our community, whether they use drugs or not, deserves to be healthy and safe.

Their outreach team brings harm reduction supplies, medical care, and education to where it is needed. In partnership with A Better Tent City, Sanguen provides access to naloxone training, safer substance use education, and testing for hepatitis C, HIV, and syphilis—all delivered with a focus on dignity and respect. At A Better Tent City, Sanguen also provides mental health support to people in the community. By embedding itself within this community, Sanguen ensures that residents have the tools and support they need to make informed choices about their health and safety.

Sanguen's outreach team works tirelessly to build relationships, listen to individual needs, and connect people with vital services. In all that they do, their mission is to create pathways to a healthier and more inclusive community.