Dr. Danielle Brown-Shreves says, “We care for patients of all ages and races through an equity lens.
When Dr. Danielle Brown-Shreves walks through the three-story clinic she opened in the Glebe during the pandemic, it’s like a dream come true.
She dreamed for 20 years of running a multidisciplinary medical center where it would be easier for vulnerable people to get health care.
Brown-Shreves said, “I wanted to do something for the people I saw having really bad health.” “I grew up in Jamaica, and poverty was my everyday life. I could see how it really hurt health.”
When she moved to Canada, she realized that people who looked like her were affected more than they should be. For example, cancer deaths, chronic diseases, and diabetes rates are all higher among black people, according to data.
During the pandemic, she saw that homeless people, refugees, and immigrants, especially from the African, Caribbean, and Black communities, needed more comprehensive, collaborative, and caring care.
“We use an equity lens to care for patients of all ages and races,” said Brown-Shreves, who has a background in global health. “But for my practice in particular, I wanted to do more for that community.”
collaborative medical approac
In April 2021, about a year into the pandemic, she opened Restore Medical Clinics on Bronson Avenue. It has a clinic for walk-ins and appointments, a pharmacy, a lab, and the ability to provide mental health services.
“We take care of the patients from head to toe, taking into account all parts of their health, not just the physical,” she said.
“Looking at sociodemographic factors that affect health, we think that can happen through multiple collaborations [of health-care professionals].”
Construction is now going on on the third floor, which will eventually have services for dentistry, optometry, and physiotherapy.
A lift is also being put in to make the building easier to get to.
Culturally sensitive car
Brown-Shreves agrees that getting access to health care is a big problem all over the city. Some doctors at Restore Medical Clinics have waiting lists, but other doctors are taking on new patients.
Last month, Dr. Samuel Ijeh started working at Restore. He says the clinic is “a breath of fresh air.”
He said, “I’ve seen all kinds of people, especially people who have been on the waiting list at other clinics for five to six years, and some for as long as ten.”
He said that he has talked to people of many different races and income levels.
“They come here to figure out who they are,” he said. “For me, it’s about making sure that all of these different people get the same care.”
Ime Patrick Edet, a patient, said that extra communication is important for newcomers trying to figure out the Canadian health care system. He said that his doctor’s detailed road map about his health and blood tests put his mind at ease.
Matilda Boateng said that having Brown-Shreves as her doctor, a black woman, makes her feel more at ease.
“As a black woman, she understands some of the problems we face.” “She can figure out what I’m trying to say,” said Boateng.
Giving back 
Brown-Shreves said that her passion and care for her patients keep her going at a time when some family doctors are giving up because they are burned out or are retiring.
“I’m trying to figure out what I can do to bring about changes that will help the community,” she said.
The clinic is a place where other Black doctors, medical students, and high school students who might be interested in the field can work and get help from people who are already in the field.
Brown-Shreves is also in charge of a foundation that helps young people get an education.
“We want young black people to be the best they can be, no matter what they choose to do, so that there is representation.”