The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #42726

Stacey Jo White, RN, BSN and Valarie A. seyfert, RN, MSN. Department of Health/Public Health Nursing Program, St. Louis County, 4580 South Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63127, 314-842-1300, stacey_white@stlouisco.com

In October, 2000 the St. Louis County Departments of Health and Human Services collaborated with local and national faith based community organizations that provided sheltered housing for the county homeless in a shared vision to establish direct healthcare service provision on-site. The catalyst behind the project development for the key collaborators were the results from focus group meetings and a survey of county shelters in which identified barriers to healthcare access most frequently cited were “no transportation” and “too long wait for appointment”. The Shelter Clinic Project was piloted in August, 2001 with the mission to navigate at risk homeless into an established high quality medical system in a timely manner for healthcare services without duplication in order to provide increased continuity of care and address barriers to healthcare access. Issues related to development, implementation and evaluation of direct healthcare service provision for the county homeless population included but were not limited to: 1) actively investing key collaborators; 2) defining role responsibility of key collaborators, 3) facilitating integration of all key collaborators systems processes for service provision and 4) increasing sustainability of the Shelter Clinic Project. Preliminary findings on the evaluation of the shelter clinic project are two fold: client service utilization and client/key collaborator satisfaction.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session the learner will be able to

• List 5 of the ten steps to be utilized in implementing direct healthcare service provision with key collaborators.
• Articulate at least two ways to increase sustainability of direct healthcare service provision in an on-site shelter clinic.
• Identify two effective evaluation measures for direct healthcare services at an on-site shelter clinic.
• Distinguish 3 primary areas in establishing continuity of care in direct healthcare service provision with homeless populations.

Keywords: Homeless Health Care,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: St. Louis County Dept. of Health, Missouri State Department of Health and Senior Services
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: employment, grant