The Funding Will Expand Access to Health Care for People Experiencing Homelessness
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles County declared a State of Emergency on Homelessness in January, and in June, we learned the number of people experiencing homelessness had actually jumped 9% from the year before to more than 75,500. People experiencing homelessness often have irregular or no access to health care, which results in more costly chronic conditions. L.A. Care is investing $4,050,000 in a Street Medicine Initiative to expand access and improve the quality of medical care available to unsheltered people where they are and on their terms. Nine organizations offering street medicine will each receive up to $500,000.
“L.A. Care’s Street Medicine Initiative will increase the number of street team members and services offered to the most vulnerable people in our communities, many of whom are L.A. Care members,” said John Baackes, L.A. Care CEO. “A secondary purpose of this initiative is to assist people experiencing homelessness with their Medi-Cal applications. The last thing we want is for people to needlessly lose health coverage simply because there was no address to send their renewal packet.”
One of the nine organizations receiving funding from this initiative is Los Angeles Christian Health Centers, which currently has four street medicine teams working in L.A. County.
“We operate with an incredible team of medical providers, RNs, and medical assistants and we are honored to have received the award from L.A. Care,” said Shannon Fernando, Chief Innovations Officer at Los Angeles Christian Health Centers. “The funding will enable us to expand our field-based enrollment and retention services and linkage to insurance. It will enhance our overall primary care to our unhoused neighbors so they can receive comprehensive health services in the field.”
Among other services that will be provided through this initiative are enhanced care management, preventive screenings, vaccinations, screenings for severe mental illness, and connections to housing and social services.
The nine organizations awarded funding are:
Department of Health Services, Los Angeles County
Healthcare in Action
JWCH Institute Inc.
Los Angeles Christian Health Centers
Northeast Valley Health Corporation
St. John’s Community Health
Special Service for Groups, Inc.
The Children’s Clinic
Venice Family Clinic
The funding for this investment is the result of California’s Housing and Homelessness Incentive Program (HHIP), which the state launched with the help of matching funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. HHIP is a voluntary incentive program allowing Medi-Cal managed care plans (MCPs) to earn incentive funds for making progress in addressing homelessness and housing insecurity as social determinants of health.
The HHIP Street Medicine Initiative aligns with L.A. Care’s commitment to health equity, the fair and just opportunity for everyone to be as healthy as possible.