Roger-Luc Chayer & Carle Jasmin & Arnaud Pontin (Picture : Facade of Clinique L’Actuel in Montreal / Gay Globe)
This morning, our dedicated team has prepared this special report in response to the announcement by the Journal de Montréal that Clinique l’Actuel, founded and led by Dr. Réjean Thomas, is facing bankruptcy. This news has caused, among many members of the Gay Globe team and the general public, great sadness, distress, and deep concern for Dr. Thomas, his staff, and his patients.
Réjean Thomas: An Iconic Physician and HIV Pioneer
Allow me, as an editor and journalistic colleague of Dr. Réjean Thomas, to start from the end. I have known Dr. Thomas since my first reports in 1993, when he treated many of my journalist colleagues at a time when no medication existed to treat HIV, as this was his specialty. He was a rare doctor willing to treat patients then considered incurable, both physically and morally, and his empathy had gained worldwide recognition.
Within the LGBT communities at the time, he was a hero, a trusted doctor advocating for faster research progress and for increased government involvement in prevention. Even with the advent of antiretroviral therapy, he always wanted — and ensured — that his patients could live as normally as possible with the virus.
At l’Actuel, he established a multidisciplinary team tasked with treating the patient as a whole, not just the disease. And he succeeded.
Testimony from a Patient at l’Actuel
I remember a longtime friend who had been treated by Réjean at l’Actuel from his HIV diagnosis through its progression to AIDS, and ultimately until his passing. In a hospice, Alain confided that he felt very fortunate, despite his illness, to have been treated by Dr. Réjean Thomas. He knew death was approaching and told me that the last gaze he wished for at the end would be that of Dr. Thomas. Alain passed away a few months later.
The Exhaustion of a Dedicated Physician
But giving one’s heart and soul to patients, running a clinic that had almost become a hospital, supporting patients, families, and friends, giving lectures and interviews everywhere on HIV/AIDS, as well as other STBBIs — since l’Actuel is a center specialized in transmissible diseases — in short, traveling the world to advance his passion, this is exhausting.
In a post this morning on the GayQuébec2026 Facebook page, Dr. Thomas commented on the situation:
« Following health issues, I was led to reduce my activities and plan my withdrawal from business. While putting things in order with the help of a management consulting firm, I found that 9549-8911 Québec Inc. was operating at a deficit and in debt. Considering my health and the energy it would have required to turn it around, and on the advice of my firm, the decision was made to place this company in bankruptcy. However, despite my withdrawal from business, I want to make it known that I am not abandoning my regular patients and will continue to care for them, as will the other doctors. »
Financial Challenges of Clinics in Quebec
A few months ago, a doctor explained to me that many clinics in Quebec face financial difficulties not due to a lack of patients, but due to a shortage of doctors to care for them. The healthcare system in Quebec compensates doctors per service by the government for each patient visit. You may have 150 patients in the waiting room per day, but if doctors can only see 75, that’s income not realized, and with fixed costs as they are, a deficit spiral can quickly develop.
Media Collaboration and Public Awareness
For several years, Réjean has collaborated with Gay Globe magazine through a health column, “The 400 Words of Réjean Thomas,” where he provides real-time insights on major issues regarding STBBIs and advances related to HIV/AIDS.
If he wishes — we have not yet discussed it — we would be very happy for him to continue this collaboration with our publication. Each of his columns has been the most-read in every edition of the magazine, as it should be!
Continuity Plan and Announcement from Creditors
We do not yet know the details of the plan to be implemented by the creditors and the clinic, but Réjean announced in the Journal de Montréal that the clinic continues to receive its patients.
I am convinced, knowing the integrity of Réjean Thomas, that he will do everything in his power to find a sustainable solution. I also rely on the empathy of the creditors, particularly Revenu Québec and Revenu Canada, to allow a smooth transition for patients, because it is for them that upcoming decisions will be made.
Biography and Commitment of Réjean Thomas
Réjean Thomas is a Canadian physician born in New Brunswick, recognized for his exceptional commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS and STBBIs. Early on, he developed an interest in community medicine and public health, a vocation he pursued throughout his studies and early clinical experiences. At the start of the 1980s, as the HIV epidemic emerged in Canada, Réjean Thomas stood out as one of the few doctors willing to treat patients infected with a then-incurable virus. His practice goes beyond medical treatment: he provides moral and psychological support to patients and their families, embodying a profoundly human and empathetic approach.
In 1987, he founded Clinique l’Actuel in Montreal, which quickly became a reference center for people living with HIV and other STBBIs. Under his leadership, the clinic adopted an innovative multidisciplinary model, bringing together doctors, nurses, social workers, and psychologists to treat the patient as a whole, not just the disease. This pioneering approach made l’Actuel a unique institution in Canada, recognized for the quality of its care and its leadership in HIV prevention and research.
Over the decades, Réjean Thomas has actively participated in public education and awareness. He has taken part in numerous international conferences, given media interviews, and published columns informing about HIV/AIDS and STBBIs. His column, “The 400 Words of Réjean Thomas,” in Gay Globe magazine illustrates his commitment to making complex medical information accessible and understandable to the general public.
A physician, researcher, and activist, Réjean Thomas is also recognized for his role in advancing antiretroviral therapy and improving the quality of life for people living with HIV. His engagement goes beyond clinical practice, advocating for increased government investment in prevention and research and for public health policies that consider the realities of the communities most affected by HIV.
Today, Réjean Thomas remains a leading figure in community medicine in Montreal. His reputation for integrity, dedication, and empathy continues to inspire colleagues, patients, and medical students. Throughout his career, he demonstrates that beyond treatments, compassion and human support are essential in fighting transmissible diseases, making him a committed physician and citizen whose influence extends well beyond Quebec.
Possible Consequences of Closing Clinique l’Actuel
The possible consequences of closing Clinique l’Actuel would be multiple and concerning, both for patients and the healthcare system. The clinic, recognized as a reference center for HIV and STBBIs, provides comprehensive and continuous care for its patients, including medical treatment as well as psychological and social support. Its closure could lead to interruptions in care for vulnerable individuals, complicating health management and increasing the risk of complications from HIV or other transmissible infections.
Moreover, the loss of the specialized expertise of the l’Actuel team would be difficult to replace. Other healthcare facilities could become overloaded, as they may not be equipped to provide comparable multidisciplinary support. Prevention and education around STBBIs, as well as participation in HIV research programs, could also be affected, slowing progress made over several decades.
Finally, the clinic’s closure would have a significant emotional and community impact. Réjean Thomas and his team have built trusting relationships with patients and LGBTQ+ communities, and their absence would create a difficult-to-fill void, heightening anxiety and feelings of health insecurity among those affected.
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