Webinar: Infection Control Policies and Practices for Medical Respite Programs

Thursday, January 26, 2 - 3pm EST

Medical respite programs provide post-acute clinical care and 24-hour bed rest to people experiencing homelessness and recuperating from illness or injury. With patients often sharing the same quarters, effective infection control policies are necessary to prevent the spread of disease, particularly for patients who are immunocompromised. This webinar will describe infection control policies and practices to prevent the spread of infections related to respiratory disease, wounds, and gastrointestinal illnesses. Attendees will also learn from a medical respite program that primarily serves people who are diagnosed with tuberculosis. Program development, including funding, will be discussed. This webinar will be of interest to homeless health care administrators and clinicians, medical respite care providers, emergency shelter providers, public health and safety officials, and others interested in improving policies and practices in the medical respite setting.

Speakers:

Jessie Gaeta, MD, Medical Director

McInnis House

Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program

Boston, MA

Timothy Johnson, BA, BBA

Chief Operating Officer

Harmony House, Inc.

Houston, TX

Webinar registration    

Bed bugs are known to wreak havoc at homeless shelters and other congregate living facilities. Though they are not known to carry disease, their bites can leave itchy welts on the skin and scratching can cause secondary infection. For people who are experiencing homelessness, having bed bugs can be particularly stressful as exposure can lead to stigma and social isolation, loss of personal items, and can even disrupt housing access and stability when landlords are made aware of infestations.

Like any living facility, medical respite programs should have policies and procedures in place to control bed bugs and to accommodate guests who have been exposed. The New York State Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program at Cornell University has produced a comprehensive bed bug prevention and management manual for the New York City Department of Homeless Services. This manual provides practical steps that providers can take to control bed bugs. In addition to providing guidance for shaping program policies, the manual provides advice for social workers and medical professionals who are assisting individuals who have been exposed to bed bugs.

Guidelines for Prevention and Management of Bed Bugs in Shelters and Group Living Facilities

GET READY FOR THE 2012 NATIONAL HEALTH CARE FOR THE HOMELESS CONFERENCE AND MEDICAL RESPITE PRE-CONFERENCE INSTITUTE

We invite you to nominate yourself, a colleague or a program participant for a position on the National Health Care for the Homeless Respite Care Providers' Network (RCPN) Steering Committee. The RCPN Steering Committee manages and directs the work of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council as it relates to medical respite care. To accomplish this work, the Committee meets monthly by teleconference and twice annually in-person; once in October at the Council headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, and again in May in conjunction with the National Health Care for the Homeless Conference.

Two Steering Committee positions are open. Nominees must be current RCPN members who have been members for at least one year. Serving in this capacity provides opportunities for professional development, collaboration with others involved in medical respite care, and active participation in directing the Council's work on the national level.

How does the nomination process work?

Use the link below to read more about the nomination process, to learn about the roles and responsibilities of RCPN Steering Committee members, and submit a nomination form. Current members of the RCPN Steering Committee will review nominations, interview nominees, and determine the slate of nominees, which will be announced at the Medical Respite Pre-conference Institute on May 15, 2012.

Nomination instructions and the list of current RCPN Steering Committee members can be found on the RCPN webpage. 

The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, February 24, 2012.

For questions, contact Sabrina Edgington, Program and Policy Specialist, at  sedgington@nhchc.org or 615-226-2292.

NEARLY HALF OF U.S. MEDICAL RESPITE PROGRAMS RESPOND TO THE NATIONAL HCH COUNCIL'S REQUEST FOR PARTNERSHIP

Last month, the National HCH Council announced that it would apply for a cooperative agreement through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Health Care Innovation Challenge. Funding made available through the cooperative agreement would allow the National HCH Council to test a standardized health care delivery and payment model across a number of medical respite programs. Of roughly 60 medical respite programs in the United States, 30 programs submitted letters indicating their interest in participating in this challenge. The Health Care Innovation Challenge aims to fund new models of service delivery/payment improvements that hold the promise of achieving the three-part aim of better health, better health care, and lower costs. The National HCH Council will submit its application by January 27, 2012. The CMS Innovation Center will announce awardees by the end of March 2012; if selected, the Council will issue an RFP to the medical respite programs that submitted letters of interest.