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| National Health Care for the Homeless Council Welcomes New CEO Bobby Watts
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| On March 27, the National HCH Council will greet the arrival of its new Chief Executive Officer, G. Robert “Bobby” Watts. Succeeding our recently retired founding Executive Director John Lozier, Watts brings more than 25 years of experience in administration, direct service, and implementation of homeless health services to the Council. A former NHCHC Board President and executive director of New York City’s Care for the Homeless, Watts expressed his admiration for the Council, stating that, “We must protect those Americans who are depending on us. It will take our collective will, smarts, and heart, and I know we are up to the challenge; the stakes are simply too great not to be.” The Council is grateful to our founder, John Lozier, for his years of exemplary leadership, and to Darlene Jenkins, who is serving as Interim Executive Director until Watts formally begins his duties. Learn more in our full announcement.
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| Spring Virtual Training Continues! Registration Is Still Open for 6 Exciting Events It’s not too late to register for six free, CME-accredited webinars in the Council’s 2017 Spring Virtual Training! Our month of online learning began on March 6 with a TED-style talk on trauma with Matt Bennett, Chief Innovation Officer of the Coldspring Center for Social & Health Innovation. Join us on upcoming Wednesdays in March for in-depth webinars on topics in homeless health care ranging from colorectal cancer screening and trauma-informed leadership skills for consumers to secondary data analysis of the Uniform Data System and nonprofit capital campaigns. Sharpen your practice while earning CME credits in our free trainings: register now.
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| New Study Brings Council’s HCIA2 Medical Respite Care Project Into Focus
The Lewin Group’s “National HCH Council: Improving Health through Housing” study illuminates the Council’s multiyear project to implement medical respite care for individuals without homes. Funded by a $2.67 million Health Care Innovation Awards Round Two (HCIA2) grant, the NHCHC’s medical respite care initiative—which supports participants with housing placement—currently operates at individual program sites in Arizona, Connecticut, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington. Working with case managers in interdisciplinary care teams, each site’s program aims to develop and meet patient-centered health and housing goals. Now in its third year, the initiative has served over 1,000 participants, of whom 76 percent have been housed. As the study details, with each site exceeding its individual housing goals, the project demonstrates the critical value of medical respite care and its role in ending homelessness.
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| New Publication: Nicotine Anonymous Peer Support Groups--Can They Work in Homeless Service Settings?
The Council's Practice-Based Research Network has conducted a unique feasibility study examining the Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) model in homeless health care. American adults without homes are more likely to smoke than their stably housed counterparts, and out of 890,283 patients served by Health Care for the Homeless in 2015, 12 percent had a primary diagnosis of tobacco use disorder compared to 5 percent in the general community health center population. While many individuals without homes desire to quit, potent barriers including depression and stress remain. To address this issue, this enterprising study features results from three participating HCH sites, finding that NicA meetings are feasible given the capacity of support staff and health centers to reduce barriers to participation.
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| Register Today for HCH2017 Pre-Conference Institutes and Learning Labs
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| Last Call: Nominations for Council Awards and Steering Committees Due March 24
The Council is still seeking nominations for worthy individuals to be honored at our 2017 National HCH Conference, as well as for members to join the Steering Committees of our membership groups. If you know someone who would qualify for any of the four awards to be presented at HCH2017—such as our Philip W. Brickner National Leadership Award or Karen Rotondo Award for Outstanding Service—it’s not too late to submit a nomination. You can also nominate yourself or a colleague to become a Steering Committee member for the Council’s HCH Clinicians’ Network, National Consumer Advisory Board, or Respite Care Providers’ Network. All nominations are due March 24.
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| Take Part in Hill Visits at HCH2017
Attending the 2017 National HCH Conference? The Council invites you to visit the offices of Senators and Representatives while you are in Washington, D.C., to help further our mission to end homelessness. These visits are very easy to make, and we will provide guidance and resources: no experience is required! If you’re interested in visiting an office in D.C., please contact Regina Reed, National Health Policy Organizer. More information will be available soon.
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| Help Us Preserve Medicaid: Share Your Story
To Lisa, a 23-year old client of Oregon’s Central City Concern, having Medicaid meant being able to access the critical recovery services necessary to overcome her opioid addiction and enter supportive housing. “It’s something I think about all the time,” said Lisa. “Without the Oregon Health Plan, I just don’t know where I’d be.” This year, the Council is advocating to preserve Medicaid for individuals like Lisa, and we need your story to advance our efforts. Tell us what Medicaid means to you so that we can ensure that policymakers understand the vital role of Medicaid in preventing and ending homelessness. Curious about other Medicaid stories or recent policy developments? Stay up-to-date—and learn how you can take action—by signing up for our free action alert, Mobilizer.
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| HCH Careers: View Recent Listings on the Council’s Jobs Board
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