“Don’t try to drive the homeless into places we find suitable. Help them survive in places they find suitable.”
Daniel Quinn (Author)
Twenty-four hours a day. Seven days a week. Three hundred and sixty-five days a year.
Virtually no other business is open every minute of every day to provide care for those who need it — but hospitals are different, because caring for others doesn’t take a break.
This role has never been more important. With homelessness increasing across the state — hitting a record high earlier this year — and dwindling federal resources for public health, hospitals are a crucial care resource for this population. In the seven years since Senate Bill 1152 (2018) — a bill that requires hospitals to have a written plan for coordinating services and referrals for homeless patients — was passed, hospitals have strengthened their relationships with community partners to ensure those experiencing homelessness receive the health care and support services they need to get back on their feet.
For example, Hospital Council has convened a long-standing workgroup comprising hospital discharge planners and social workers, counterparts from homeless shelters and other social service providers, and staff from San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. Those relationships have resulted in smoother transitions between hospitals and community partners, ultimately leading to better outcomes for patients.
At the same time, new local leaders are rededicating resources to addressing homelessness in meaningful ways: the Family Homelessness Prevention Project, which launched earlier this year in San Francisco; emergency interim housing that’s leading to promising results in San Jose; and plans for an Unhoused Coordination Team in Oakland, courtesy of Mayor Barbara Lee, who was sworn in just last weekend.
The needs of our communities are increasing, just as federal and state resources are being cut back, which means that people will continue to expect more from their hospitals. At Hospital Council, we understand how incredibly difficult and deeply human this work is. That is why we are here to walk alongside hospitals as they care for individuals experiencing homelessness and help them navigate these challenges with empathy, dignity, and compassion.
Your commitment to care never stops, and neither does ours.