Mobile Medical Clinic Back on Road
|
Contact: |
NEW FUNDING PUTS MOBILE MEDICAL CLINIC BACK ON THE ROAD
HOPE RESTORED FOR 2,000 HOMELESS MEN, WOMAN AND CHILDREN WHO LOST THEIR ONLY RELIABLE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE ONE YEAR AGO
DENVER (February 28, 2011) — A unique health care solution for people who are homeless is back, one year after a $3.4 million state budget cut suspended operations. The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless’s mobile medical clinic is making rounds again at 14 locations across the Denver Metro Area, delivering vital health care services to men, women and children who are homeless and staying in shelters, motels or on the streets.
“With me being homeless and without health care, vans like this are invaluable. I can’t just up and go to the doctor,” said Kimberly Tatum, 42, when she climbed aboard the 37-foot customized clinic on wheels. One of its first stops was at The Gathering Place, a drop in center for homeless women and children. Tatum said that while the mobile clinic program was parked last year she would borrow asthma inhalers from friends. She says even though she knew this was risky, it was her only option, because she could never have afforded a prescription.
“If you don’t have income, even a $5 prescription is prohibitive. It might as well cost $5,000,” said Leslie Foster, President and CEO of The Gathering Place.
“We have women who rely on the Stout Street medical van [the Coalition’s mobile medical clinic] for pre-natal care and treating sick babies and children,” said Natasha Raabe, Project Manager with Volunteers of America’s Brandon Center-Theodora House. “It is not easy to visit a doctor or clinic when you have limited funds and limited transportation. Then imagine making the trip with small children in tow, one or more of whom may be ill.”
New funding for the mobile medical clinic was secured with a one-year grant from the Anschutz Foundation. “The Coalition continues to seek a long-term funding source,” said Jennifer N. Wilson, the Coalition’s Director of Resource Development and Marketing. It costs approximately $215,000 to staff the mobile medical clinic and an additional $35,000 to pay for supplies, medications, fuel, insurance and telecommunications. “These expenses are minimal when compared to the $1.6 million it would have cost the community if just half the number of people treated by the mobile clinic each year were to visit a hospital emergency room,” said Wilson.
The mobile medical clinic is staffed by a physician or nurse practitioner, a paramedic and a driver, who is also a certified EMT. It has a lab on board to do blood work and refrigeration for medications and vaccinations. Services include medical exams; diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses; wound care, general health maintenance; immunizations, pre- and post-natal care; gynecological services; TB and STD exams; and mental health evaluations.
Providers aboard the mobile medical clinic and at the Coalition’s Stout Street Clinic know the challenges faced by their homeless patients and tailor care for the best results. “Our crew establishes a rapport and communication with the individual,” said Dr. Judith Wilson, Medical Director at the Coalition’s Stout Street Clinic. “Many times this conversation is more important than a bottle of medicine.” The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless has been providing medical and mental health services to the homeless since 1985. In 2009, the Coalition’s Stout Street Clinic treated 13,947 men, women and children, ranging in age from infancy to those over 85.
The Coalition launched its Health Outreach Program in 2002 to expand access to health care and overcome typical barriers like lack of transportation, the cost of medications and time limitations for the working homeless who can’t afford to take a day off work for an appointment. The mobile clinic’s services are offered during evening hours and are free of charge for anyone who is homeless. The mobile medical clinic is an active collaboration between the Coalition and other providers like The Gathering Place and Volunteers of America.
People experiencing homelessness are three to four times more likely to die prematurely than the general population. Most Americans expect to live to be at least 80; yet, for those that routinely experience homelessness the probable life span is somewhere around 47 years.
While poor mental or physical health can sometimes be the primary cause of homelessness, more often it is homelessness that causes or contributes to health problems. Chronic and acute health problems often result from poor living conditions and contribute to the inability of an individual or family to break the cycle of homelessness.
There are an estimated 16,000 homeless people on any given night in Colorado. Major causes of homelessness include lack of affordable housing, eroding job opportunities and diminished access to health care, especially treatment for mental illness and addiction disorders.
Public Contributions
Ongoing private grants and donations from individuals, corporations and foundations will offset the cost of medical staff, equipment, supplies and medications, fuel and insurance. It will enable the Coalition to continue to provide health outreach across the community. For more information, please call 303-285-5227.
The mission of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is to work collaboratively toward the prevention of homelessness and the creation of lasting solutions for homeless and at-risk families,children, and individuals throughout Colorado. CCH advocates for and provides a continuum of housing and a variety of services to improve the health, well-being and stability of those it serves.