Nominations for Council Board of Directors Due April 1

Members of the National HCH Council are invited to submit nominations for Board officers and members of the Class of 2018. Board members help to define and address the priorities of the national HCH movement while acting as stewards to steer the organization toward a sustainable future. Members of the Board serve two-year terms, and officers (President, President-Elect, Immediate Past President, Secretary, and Treasurer) serve one-year terms. Learn more about the Board’s diversity guidelines and the nominations process, and submit a nomination. Self-nominations are encouraged.

The National HCH Council is pleased to welcome Christina “Crissy” Zitka, MA – CFRE, as our new Senior Director of Development and Lori Hopper, MSW, LAPSW, as our new Technical Assistance Coordinator. A nonprofit development veteran who has raised more than $100 million, Zitka is responsible for building charitable support for the Council, as well as providing oversight and direction for communications and membership. Hopper, a skilled grant and program operations manager, now coordinates the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Council’s Technical Assistance (TA) program to provide expert, individualized responses to the specific needs of health centers and other homeless service entities.

Spring Regional Training attendees are invited to a Networking Reception at 5 p.m. MST on March 31. Join your colleagues in the HCH movement for an evening of fun and mingling between trainings. The first 30 registrants to sign in on March 31 will receive a ticket for one free beverage at the reception at Stout Street Social, across the street from the Colorado Convention Center. Light hors d'oeuvres and non-alcoholic beverages will also be provided. Thanks to our generous sponsor and Council member, Ascending to Health Medical Respite Care, with additional support from the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and Coldspring Center for Social and Health Innovation, for making this event possible.

This March, join the Council in recognizing Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colon cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer deaths. Proper screening can reduce this mortality significantly, yet people experiencing homelessness are less likely to receive such cancer screenings than individuals with stable housing. Learn how you can raise awareness of colorectal cancer and encourage preventative screenings at the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, or visit our Clinical Practice pages for important resources on a variety of health conditions as they affect people without homes.

The National HCH Council welcomes Oakland Integrated Healthcare Network (OIHN) to our membership community. Serving Oakland County in the greater Detroit area, OIHN has utilized a 2015 HRSA New Access Point grant and recent Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan grant to expand services for people experiencing homelessness in one of the neediest areas in Michigan. Furthermore, as Danielle Redilla, Homeless Program Coordinator, notes, OIHN is partnering with HOPE Recuperative Center to provide primary care to patients of their new Medical Respite program. A champion of the burgeoning Medical Respite field, the Council is pleased to see both the expansion of the HCH program and close collaborations with recuperative care. Learn more.