More Than a Prescription: Building Community for Better Care with Dr. Kate Mulligan and Liv Mendelsohn

How is social prescribing reshaping modern healthcare—and what could it mean for patients and caregivers? In this episode Dr. Kate Mulligan and Liv Mendelsohn discuss what social prescribing is, its impact on health care, and the need for investment and policy change to embed the practice in care systems.  Dr. Kate Mulligan is an award-winning health geographer, implementation scientist, and policy advisor who helps to grow systems that strengthen community and neighbourhood leadership for health, equity, and resilience around the world. She is Canada's 2025-2026 Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellow in Healthcare Policy and Practice with Stanford University and the City University of New York. Kate is also the founding Scientific Director of the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing, an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, and a member of the ICES Scientific Advisory Committee. Liv Mendelsohn, MA, MEd, is Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, where she leads research, innovation, policy, and co-design to strengthen support for caregivers and care providers across Canada. A lifelong caregiver with lived experience of disability, Liv is committed to building a Canada where caregiving is recognized, valued, and shaped by those with lived experience. A senior fellow at Massey College, she serves on the City of Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee and on the boards of the Kids Brain Health Foundation and the Centre for Independent Living in Toronto. Resources Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence – Supporting Family Caregivers and Care Providers Strengthening Care: A Toolkit for Caregiver-Focused Social Prescribing The Ontario Caregiver Organization The Case for Social Prescribing - Macleans.ca Toronto Public Library expanding social, crisis support services to more branches | CBC News EPISODE CREDITS:Produced, edited and mixed by Will Mcintyre, Richard Villeneuve and Pop Up PodcastingArtwork designed by Stella-Luna HaMusic licensed through Melodie MusicLINKS:Be sure to follow and tag ICES on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. To find out more about our organization, visit us at ices.on.ca