Parkview Health - Rescue Mission Partnership

What is it?

Parkview Health provides a medical clinic at the Rescue Mission to serve homeless men. Using a specialized care navigation program, nurses are on-site four to five days a week, assisting clients with health assessments, insurance enrollment, and connection with physicians for primary, dental and vision care. They also teach and monitor medication compliance, and provide TB testing.

The program’s goals are to (1) Decrease emergency department (ED) visits by 10 percent from the baseline in the short term; and (2) Increase visits to a primary care providers/medical homes by 30 percent; (3) Ensure that at least 40 percent of residents have completed an annual physical exam, and have blood pressure and cholesterol within the normal range or be under medical treatment; and (4) Ensure that 100 percent of program participants are enrolled in health insurance coverage.

Who is it for?

Homeless men seeking assistance at the Rescue Mission.

Why do they do it?

The homeless population is often transient and not ready for change. The nurse navigators educate this population regarding improvement of their health and well-being. Each client is different and comes with various disabilities resulting from some form of traumatic history that require specialized navigation. Residents or clients of the Rescue Mission lack access to appropriate primary care, knowledge of when and how to seek care and have difficulty navigating the health care system when services are needed. This leads to fragmented and ineffective care and inappropriate use of care systems such as emergency departments. The nurse navigators work with the residents to improve care access and coordination for residents/clients of the Rescue Mission.

Impact

During 2015, more than 800 men were connected to health resources in the community, and more than 200 men required and received medication assistance. Overall: (1) ED visits were reduced by 50 percent in one year; (2) Visits were increased to primary care providers/medical homes, which includes 90 percent of participants (706 men attended their appointments); (3) More than 90 percent of participants received an annual physical examination, and had blood pressure and cholesterol readings within the normal range or were under medical treatment; and (4) 100 percent of participants are enrolled in health insurance coverage or are currently engaged in the enrollment process.

Contact: Carmen Moore, RN
Parkview Health Community Nursing Manager
Telephone: 260-266-2464
Email: carmen.moore@parkview.com