New Respite Program Directory, Steering Committee Nominees, and more!
New Respite Program Directory, Steering Committee Nominees, and more!
July • 18 • 2018
Respite
News
A Newsletter for Members of the Respite Care Providers’ Network
The updated Medical Respite Program Directory is now available! Previously, the Council updated and published the directory annually; however, the new directory has been converted to an online resource that can be updated throughout the year. The new directory features advanced search options making it possible to identify programs by bed number, staffing, facility type, and funding. We were unable to get in contact with a few programs that had profiles in our previous directory. If your program is not reflected in the new directory, please complete a program profile form, and contact Julia DobbinsAccess the online Medical Respite Program Directory.
Save the Date for our 2018 Medical Respite Training Symposium!
Registration opens on August 6 for the National HCH Council’s 2018 Medical Respite Training Symposium. To be held October 1-2 in Phoenix, AZ, this singular training will feature two full days of intensive workshops in medical respite care – from forging hospital partnerships and securing funding for new programs, to fostering consumer engagement and establishing proper clinical policies and procedures. The event also features an in-depth look at the National HCH Council’s Standards for Medical Respite Care and tools developed to support the establishment of medical respite programs. Stay tuned to learn how to register for this unique symposium featuring renowned speakers and experts from across the United States.
2018/2019 RCPN Steering Committee Slate of Nominees 
RCPN members attending the 2018 Medical Respite Pre-Conference Institute on Wednesday, May 15, in Minneapolis, MN, confirmed the following slate of nominees:
New Members
  • Melissa Brown, LICSW, Manager, Edward Thomas House Medical Respite, Seattle, WA
  • Joseph Funn, Consumer Representative, Baltimore, MD
Re-Election (2nd Term)
  • Randy Pinnelli, PA, Program Coordinator, Care Link, Stockton, CA
  • Donna Biederman, Associate Professor, Duke University School of Nursing, Durham, NC
Leadership
  • Chair: Rhonda Hauff, MA, Chief Operating Officer, Yakima Neighborhood Health Services, Yakima, WA
  • Vice-Chair: Kim Despres, DHA, RN, RN Program Director, Circle the City, Phoenix, AZ
Departing RCPN Steering Committee members include Shakoya Green, MA, MSW, former Recuperative Care Director, Pathway Recuperative Care, Los Angeles, CA, and Eric Johnsen, MBA, former Director, Community Homeless Solutions, Marina, CA. Ms. Green and Mr. Johnsen have both accepted new positions and are moving into new fields. They have been dedicated members of the RCPN Steering Committee, and we are very grateful for their generosity, compassion, and commitment to improving access to quality medical respite care across the country.  
New Resources Available to Help Your Program Meet the National Standards
The Standards for Medical Respite Care Companion are a compilation of policies, procedures, and forms from existing medical respite programs across the country to correspond with each standard. These resources are meant to help your program document that your practice adheres to the national standards for medical respite care. They are free for your use and may be adapted as needed in your organization. Additionally, the Council developed an organizational self-assessment for programs to use internally to track their progress towards meeting the standards. Click each standard to find its corresponding documents, or download the entire compilation as a PDF fileView the Standards for Medical Respite Companion page.
2018 Pre-Conference Institute Roundup
Over 100 professionals attended the Medical Respite Care: Engaging Your Community Pre-Conference Institute at the 2018 National Heath Care for the Homeless Conference & Policy Symposium in Minneapolis, MN. Experts from across the country highlighted such topics as a payer’s perspective on medical respite care, day-to-day management of medical respite, and harm reduction in a medical respite setting. Additionally, participants had the opportunity to engage in information sharing and networking, as well as small group discussions on safety and security, trauma-informed care, clinical challenges, and developing community partnerships. View session materials.
South Los Angeles Nursing Home Fined $450,000 for "Patient Dumping." 
A nursing home in south Los Angeles was recently fined for failing to properly discharge patients experiencing homelessness. Under the terms of the settlement, the nursing home, Avalon Villa Care Center, will hire and train staff dedicated specifically to the implementation of discharge planning protocols and quality care issues for people without homes. Medical respite care was developed in response to the absence of a safe and appropriate place to discharge people experiencing homelessness, and it is clear that medical respite is an essential part of the continuum of care for this population. Read more about the settlement.

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