Health care for the homeless for dummies: How to integrate and navigate the system

Wednesday, June 1, 2016: 1:00 PM-2:00 PM
Broadway I (Hilton Portland)
This think tank will lead participants through the triumphs and trials experienced by stakeholders as a county Health Care for the Homeless program worked towards total integration and access to services. Who among us really knows how it works and how to work it? A 1993 book examining health care delivery for the poor noted: "Show me the poor woman who can access all she is entitled to in the Medicaid system, and I will show you a woman who can run General Motors." The same is true for systems and services meant to assist people experiencing homelessness in America—yet patients, providers, and community partners alike are unaware or unable to really navigate the systems meant to help bring them together. In this session, we will look at ourselves to see how navigating a Health Care for the Homeless program can be optimized, examining how we looked at our programs in Contra Costa County and encouraging feedback and providing tools for programs to do the same. This session will examine such topics as identifying stakeholders and demographics, assessing how HCH fits into areas and services, outreach, and more.
Speakers:
Joseph Mega, MD, MPH (Medical Director, Contra Costa County Health Care for the Homeless)
Heather Cedermaz, NP (Nurse Practitioner, Contra Costa County Health Care for the Homeless)
See more of: Think Tank