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At the social pediatric hub in Vanier, there’s an examining table and other medical accoutrements. There are also boxes of toys and a kitchen table with a bowl of fruit for nibbling.

The hub is a one-stop shop that recognizes it takes more than medical expertise to keep children healthy — not just physically, but also mentally, emotionally and socially.

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“When the child goes into the medical system, the system focuses on the medical. We’re looking at the whole child,” says Dr. Sue Bennett, one of the lead pediatricians in the three-year pilot project.

Here’s how it works: With every new patient, the child’s family gathers around the table with an entire team that has not just a doctor, nurse and social worker, but may also include a teacher, a police officer and a lawyer with expertise in the immigration system or tenancy law. Sometimes, the advocacy of a city councillor, MPP or MP may be enlisted.