| The National Institute for Medical Respite Care (NIMRC) Has Launched!
Today -- July 15, 2020 -- the Council launched its special initiative, the National Institute for Medical Respite Care (NIMRC), a first-of-its kind institute designed to expand the field of medical respite care and enhance knowledge about these vital programs. NIMRC has assembled a distinguished group of national health care leaders to serve on its Advisory Panel, in coordination with the leadership of the Respite Care Providers’ Network Steering Committee.
Members of the Advisory Panel, all external leaders who are strong proponents of medical respite care, will support NIMRC during its two-year start-up phase. Initial members of the Advisory Panel are Dr. Stephen Cha, Chief Medical Officer for UnitedHealthcare Community & State; Dr. Sarita Mohanty, Vice President, Care Coordination of Medicaid and Vulnerable Populations for Kaiser Permanente; Dr. Pamela Riley, Medical Director for the District of Columbia Department of Health Care Finance; and Dr. Michelle Schneidermann, Director of High-Value Care for the California Health Care Foundation.
The Respite Care Providers Network (RCPN), the national voice for those who are too ill or too frail to recover on the streets or in a shelter, will provide counsel to NIMRC on direct care issues. The mission of the RCPN is to improve the health status of individuals by supporting programs that deliver medical respite and related services.
RCPN Steering Committee Members include:
Donna Biederman, DrPH, MN, RN (Vice Chair), Assistant Professor, Duke University School of Nursing (Durham, NC); Ashley Brand, MA, MPH, CPH, Director, Community & Homeless Health, Dignity Health (Sacramento, CA); Melissa Brown, LICSW, Manager, Edward Thomas House, Harborview Medical Center, (Seattle, WA); Joseph Funn, Consumer Representative (Baltimore, MD); Devora Keller, MD, MPH, Clinical and Care Transitions Lead, San Francisco Medical Respite (San Francisco, CA); LaSonya Kelly, LCSW-C, Manager, Health Care for the Homeless, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (Rockville, MD); Pamela Kerr, MSW, Program Director, The Boulevard (Chicago, IL); Susannah King, MSW, LICSW, Social Work Unit Supervisor, Hennepin County Health Care for the Homeless (Minneapolis, MN); Brooks Ann McKinney, MSW, Director of Vulnerable Populations, Cone Health and Hospitals/Triad Health Network ACO (Greensboro, NC); David Munson, MD (Chair), Medical Director, Barbara McInnis House (Boston, MA); Annie Nicol, FNP, PA, Director of Homeless Services, Petaluma Health Center (Petaluma, CA); Miriah Nunnaley, RN, Respite Nurse Manager, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (Denver, CO); Randy Pinnelli, PA, Program Coordinator, Care Link – Community Medical Centers, Inc. (Stockton, CA); Courtney Pladsen, DNP, FNP, Nurse Practitioner, Greater Portland Health (Portland, ME); and Jordan Wilhelms, Complex Care Program Manager, Central City Concern (Portland, OR).
Learn more about NIMRC by visiting us on online at www.nimrc.org, or following us on social media via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. (Please note that the NIMRC website may currently only be viewed on a desktop computer. Mobile compatibility will be available soon!)
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Facing a Dual Threat: COVID-19 and Extreme Heat
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People experiencing unsheltered homelessness are particularly vulnerable to extreme temperatures and heat-related illnesses. Finding relief from the heat proves even more challenging and dangerous for people without homes during a pandemic when social distancing is recommended.
Council CEO Bobby Watts contributed to a recent article in The Appeal about the dual threat of summer weather during COVID-19 to people experiencing homelessness. Learn more about the impact of heat-related injuries on vulnerable populations on our resource page.
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Council Welcomes New Administrative Coordinator
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Jamie Jones has joined the Council as Administrative Coordinator. She will have responsibilities in the areas of finance and administration, including bookkeeping, office and clerical support, database management, and various operational tasks.
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The Council is seeking a Research Associate. This position works to support the Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) field by developing and disseminating knowledge, increasing visibility of HCH-related research through publications and external collaborations ,and improving the HCH field and the community’s capacity to conduct quality improvement projects and encourage engagement in research. The Research Associate is expected to use applied knowledge to impact population health by using social behavioral research methodologies to address health care delivery to persons experiencing homelessness.
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