Medical Respite: From Conceptualization to Realization

Medical respite is a growing trend in the U.S. and more and more Health Care for the Homeless recipients are looking to fill the void that exists between hospitalization and living in the streets. PrimaryOne Health in Columbus, Ohio has not only recently developed a new medical respite program, but has implemented it successfully inside the nation’s largest homeless shelter. Topics of discussion include: data collection, gauging hospital interest, locating a facility, staff requisition, policy development, referral process, developing a relationship with area hospitals, acquiring medical equipment at no cost and how to navigate hospital priorities vs. homeless shelter priorities.