How Kaiser Permanente Has Helped Improve Homeless Health Care in Southern California

Kaiser Permanente helps improve health care for homeless people through partnerships with community clinics and social service providers; funding programs to address the health concerns of the homeless; and participating with homeless service providers to develop a stronger, coordinated system of care. Over the past two years, Kaiser Permanente has invested $2.5 million to help strengthen the homeless health care system in Los Angeles County.

KP's physicians and other staff volunteer with community clinics to provide thousands of hours of health treatment, education, and resources to people who are uninsured and homeless. As an example, in 2006, Kaiser Permanente radiologists provided interpretative services free of charge for more than 2,000 radiological examinations for homeless patients on Skid Row. This project coordinated diagnostic radiology services with three clinics in Skid Row: JWCH Institute, Los Angeles Mission Community Clinic, and UCLA Nursing Clinic at Union Rescue Mission.

Kaiser Permanente's homeless care efforts in Southern California focus on:

* Care coordination and case management work that link homeless patients with existing services such as alcohol/drug treatment, recuperative care, primary care, mental health, and housing
* Developing recuperative care bed access for those persons who do not require continued hospital care, but still need medical oversight
* Teaching hospital social workers and discharge planners how to assist homeless patients to access available community support services fol- lowing their discharge from a hospital. Examples of these services include post-hospital health care, housing resources, and other community resource support.
* Investments in agencies and other homeless providers to expand access to medical, dental, mental health, and addiction services.

Kaiser Permanente provided more than $800 million in community benefit in the United States in 2006. Part of that considerable effort is focused on supporting social service agencies that care for the homeless. In 2006, Kaiser Permanente provided more than $302 million in community benefit in Southern California alone. Key components of Kaiser Permanente's $2.5 million investment to strengthen the homeless health care system in Southern California in the past two years include: