Health care for the homeless in Oregon: A panel discussion

This panel discussion will include representatives from all twelve Health Care for the Homeless grantees in the state of Oregon, moderated by the Executive Director of the Oregon Primary Care Association, Craig Hostetler. Discussion will focus on: the state of homelessness in Oregon, the distinct differences between its urban and rural HCH programs, how HCH health centers have led their communities to address the need, and what resources are available (through CCO funding of non-clinical services, for example) to enhance quality of care. Oregon faces a severe housing crisis, with hundreds of thousands of people moving to the state, pricing out the market for the lowest income level in urban areas. Rural areas struggle with a steady decline in timber and other extractive industries, increasing poverty and homelessness while decreasing County tax revenue to confront the problem. Without such public funding, rural programs have developed creative partnerships to reduce homelessness.

The workshop will highlight the distinctiveness of Health Care for the Homeless programs with an emphasis on urban-rural comparisons, and will therefore be appropriate for Oregonian social service professionals and consumers. But the panel discussion will be equally compelling for HCH administrators and advocates outside of Oregon to learn promising practices that transcend Oregon’s singularities, especially states that have a similar political and geographic polarization. Attendees will leave the workshop with insight to inform strong relationships with Primary Care Associations, leveraging resources in rural communities, and building collaborations and relationships with other health centers across service areas.

Moderated by: Craig Hostetler, MHA, Executive Director, Oregon Primary Care Association