NIMRC Resource Highlights

Clinical Issues in Medical Respite/Recuperative Care

NIMRC is beginning to build out more resources regarding clinical care within the medical respite/recuperative care setting. The first of these updates occurred in July, with a webinar series focused on three topics: Activities of Daily Living; Chronic Conditions; and Incontinence. The clinical issues series highlighted primary and complicated issues medical respite/recuperative care programs face and presented different strategies and considerations for programs to manage these issues within their own settings. In addition to the webinar, three accompanying Clinical Guidelines publications were posted in the NIMRC Toolkit to serve as a resource. More Clinical Guidelines will be published within the next year, so stay tuned!

The webinar recordings and PDFs of the slides can be accessed here.

The Clinical Guidelines publications can be accessed from the NIMRC Toolkit:

Letter from the Chair

Hi, Friends of the RCPN,

First, I would like to say you are appreciated, and I am so thankful to be a part of this network/family. During these uncertain times, your compassion to serve those in need of medical respite care is valued more than ever.

I have served on the RCPN Steering committee in some capacity since 2008, and I am proud to serve as your chair for 2021-2022. My Health Care for the Homeless career began as a director of a medical and mental health program in Raleigh, NC, which now has evolved into large hospital system strategies for patients experiencing homeless. I also serve in leadership positions for DHHS and HUD initiatives to advance medical respite reimbursement, and affordable housing opportunities. I have fostered development for programs nationally, but currently I am focused on opening a new shelter-based/hospital-led program in Greensboro, NC. This work is my passion, and the consumers who have touched my life over the years are why I continue to press on.

As we face this second wave of the pandemic, we are still dealing with stress and trauma from the first. The good news is that we have done this before, and you all are the experts. Our vulnerable patients we serve need a safe place to discharge and heal … and you are the ones who provide this vital service. They need you.

This means we need to take care of ourselves, and each other. Reach out to us if you need any support programmatically and/or emotionally. Take time to recharge, and I hope you continue to subscribe to the Medical Respite/Recuperative Care News, attend educational events, and be an active member of the RCPN. We are excited to share the news that the updated Standards for Medical Respite Programs will be published next month, and programs continue to grow nationally.

Hopefully we will be able to laugh and hug again soon at the annual conference next spring, but until then we must stay strong and stay connected.

We can get through this together,

Brooks Ann McKinney, MSW
Director of Vulnerable Populations, Cone Health and Hospitals

Respite Kudos & Accomplishments

Congratulations to Brooks Ann McKinney (Cone Health and Hospitals/Triad Health Network ACO) for beginning her year as the RCPN Steering Committee chairperson, and to Susannah King (Hennepin County Health Care for the Homeless) for beginning her year as the RCPN Steering Committee vice chair.

If you would like to highlight a medical respite/recuperative care program or provider in the next newsletter, please send your “kudos” to Caitlin at csynovec@nhchc.org

Respite in the News

Several programs were highlighted in the news over the past several months, with recognition of the respite/recuperative care programs’ impact and growth in their communities.

A research study completed at the Seattle, WA, medical respite/recuperative care program was published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. This research aimed to examine the effect of a multipronged approach (including infectious disease and addiction specialty care, case management services, and medications for opioid use disorder treatment) on clinical cure and linkage with outpatient addiction treatment for patients with opioid use disorder experiencing homelessness who utilize a medical respite/recuperative care facility. You can read an overview of the findings, or read the article here.
The Commonwealth Fund recently published a case study on how medical respite/recuperative care can provide a pathway to health and housing for people experiencing homelessness, and featured the work of National Health Foundation and NIMRC.
Two new medical respite/recuperative programs in Tennessee were highlighted:
Room in the Inn, Memphis
New Memphis Facility Aims to Help the Homeless Recover from Illness
Village at Glencliff, Nashville
"It's Just Heart Touching." The Village at Glencliff Becomes City's first Medical Respite Center
Church Dedicates Micro Homes in Glencliff Community
The National Health Foundation and the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County [SAWC] were both highlighted in their local news for receiving funding for medical respite/recuperative care services.
Several medical respite/recuperative care programs were highlighted for their important work in their communities. Read more about Pathways to Housing (Redding, CA), Health to Home (Dallas, TX), and Interfaith (Escondido, CA)
The American Medical Association hosted a virtual session on “Why Housing Matters in Health,” which featured NHCHC staff and Kelly Doran, MD, who shared about the importance and benefits of medical respite/recuperative care.

If you have a news story recognizing a medical respite/recuperative care program, please share it with us by emailing Caitlin at csynovec@nhchc.org.

Activities & Opportunities

RCPN Steering Committee Nominations Are Open

In April 2021, the RCPN Steering Committee decided to pause nominations for new steering committee members to take time to evaluate the gaps in experience and expertise currently represented on the committee. The Steering Committee is committed to reflecting the diversity of the medical respite/recuperative care field in its composition, including diversity of discipline, race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, geography, and lived experience of homelessness.

We are pleased to announce that the nominations process has re-opened! We encourage nominations from hands-on medical respite/recuperative care providers, administrators, funders, and community partners. We are especially interested in nominees with lived experience of homelessness, experience with Medicaid/MCOs, experience in research, and nominees based in HRSA regions 1, 2, 6, and 7.

If you or someone you know is interested in guiding our national work on medical respite/recuperative care, please submit a nomination. Nominations will close on Monday, September 20, 2021, at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT/6 p.m. MT/5 p.m. PT/4 p.m. AT/2 p.m. HAT.

Medical Respite/Recuperative Care Directory

We’ve updated our directory form to better capture what is happening within medical respite/recuperative care programs and the services they provide. This information supports our advocacy work and resource development. We’re asking all programs to update your profile information to ensure accuracy!

Please complete the new medical respite/recuperative directory form here.

Save the Date

Respite Care Providers' Network All Member meeting will be Tuesday, September 28 -- 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT/12 p.m. MT/11 a.m. PT/10 a.m. AT/8 a.m. HAT.

Please join us for our next RCPN All Member meeting! During this meeting, we will have an opportunity to review the newly published Standards for Medical Respite Programs (2021) and identify priorities for the RCPN in the coming year. We will also share updates on publications and activities of NIMRC and have an opportunity for programs to share updates from the field. Register here.

Respite Care Providers' Network Information

If you are not already a member, please join the Respite Care Providers' Network (RCPN). The mission of RCPN is to improve the health status of individuals who are homeless by supporting programs that provide medical respite/recuperative care and related services. Follow this link for more information and to join the RCPN.
Is your medical respite/recuperative care program profile in the NIMRC directory up to date? Complete this program profile form to update your information, and view the directory here.
Does your program need technical assistance? Please contact Julia, Caitlin, or Stephen to request a TA meeting to help address your program’s needs!
Additional resources for medical respite/recuperative care can be found at www.NIMRC.org.

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