IMAGINE (Interprofessional Medical and Allied Groups for Improving Neighbourhood Environment) is an interprofessional, student-run community clinic program aimed at creating and providing holistic health care to the core neighborhoods of downtown Toronto. IMAGINE envisions an inter-professional community-based clinic program that will meld the collective knowledge and abilities of health care students. With the guidance and encouragement of faculty and practising healthcare professionals, the team will develop a service program specific to the needs of the population it aims to serve.

Through IMAGINE's community assessment and research, we aspire to develop a program where students will not only apply their clinical knowledge, but also address the needs of our target population through patient education and appropriate healthcare service delivery. Moreover, IMAGINE aims to create a stable, long-term, and committed clinic that the partners and community will recognize as a source of assistance. As part of a student education program, students will in turn receive a hands-on health service education which will complement their studies.

For additional information, IMAGINE's executive summary is available as a PDF file (last updated May 10, 2009).

IMAGINE consists of a team of students from several health faculties and programs (medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, physiotherapy, and speech-language pathology) as well as preceptors that span all ranks within the university's health science faculties. To date, IMAGINE has secured the support of Dr. Whiteside (Dean of Medicine), Dr. Mock (Dean of Dentistry), Dean Mann (Dean of Pharmacy) as well as multiple faculty-specific advisors. St. Christopher House: The Meeting Place and Queen West Community Health Centre have also been immensely supportive of the IMAGINE initiative.

For the list and contact information of the current executive committee, please see the Contact Us page.

As a group we have currently finished our initial task of setting up the group, getting buy-in from key stakeholders, establishing links with U of T administration, LHIN's and the ministry, establishing our framework, major fundraising, etc. and have moved onto phase 1 of our project.

Phase 1 involves securing additional funding for further development, planning the budget and researching details such as insurance policies and coverage for students and professionals in order to facilitate professional practice. In the meantime, in order to establish a relationship with our future clients & for general health promotion, we have held and will continue to hold educational sessions at St. Christopher House: The Meeting Place (at Queen & Bathurst), delivered by an interprofessional team of students, on a variety of health topics.