The Hamilton County Health Department’s Homeless Health Care Center on 11th Street has been nationally recognized as a Health Center Quality Leader, ranking among the top 10 percent of health centers in the United States for overall clinical performance in 2019.
The Health Resources and Services Administration division of the federal Department of Health and Human Services awarded the “Gold level” to the Center as part of their annual quality improvement awards.
The Center has a number of recognized Quality of Care Indicators and Health Outcomes that reflect quality improvements from the previous year.
These include improvements in the areas of entry into prenatal care, preventive health screenings and services and chronic disease management.
Specific achievements in these areas include:
• access to prenatal care in the first trimester;
• weight assessment and counseling for nutrition and physical activity for children and adolescents;
• body mass index screening and follow-up plans;
• tobacco use screening & cessation intervention;
• colorectal cancer screening;
• controlling high blood pressure; and
• diabetes control.
The HHCC delivers comprehensive care to homeless people who are often low income, uninsured and face obstacles to getting health care and the treatments they need. In spite of these barriers, clinical outcomes have been improved for those patients receiving health care at the HHCC.
“Everyone on our staff plays a role in this achievement,” said Homeless Health Care Center Executive Director Karen Guinn, “From the medical staff, to the case managers, to the outreach workers, to the patient service representatives, to the management and administrative staff, our team strives to help our clients improve their health and transition to more stable lives.”
The Homeless Healthcare Center operates under a Federally Qualified Health Center grant from HHS. This funding helps to provide full service medical, behavioral health and dental, as well as case management services. The hallmark of the Center’s work is not only to address a client’s immediate needs, but also to help them break the cycle of homelessness.
The Center processes more than 20,000 patient visits per year with needs ranging from primary medical care to mental health care, and even offers a 28-day substance abuse outpatient program. In the last fiscal year, the Center served 4,268 individuals, a record for the agency.
In addition to providing physical and mental health services, the Center’s staff helps clients secure clothing, replace important documents like lost birth certificates, navigate health insurance options, identify employment opportunities and find stable housing.
The Health Department’s homeless services operated out of the 11th Street Community Kitchen for 25 years until opening the current center across the street in 2013.
For more information at the Homeless Health Care Center, call 423-209-5800.