Even though you may not need to go to the doctor when you're feeling ill, at least you have that option.
According to an article in Medpage Today, homeless people have three to six times the rate of chronic disease as non-homeless people.
Policymakers are arguing that permanent supportive housing is crucial in order to help improve outcomes.
Health providers mentioned in the article said that they see both sides of patient access; the person who might overly go to the doctor and hospital without cause, and the patient who might be coping with a mental health issue or have an addiction problem and avoids healthcare altogether.
Some argue that health issues, specifically mental health problems, can lead to homelessness.
How can we improve health outcomes in the homeless population?
Director of policy for the National Health Care for the homeless Council, Barbara DiPetro, PhD, shares why policymakers care about linking health and housing.
Healthcare for the Homeless
Why should policymakers care about linking health and housing?
Additional Info
- Segment Number: 1
- Audio File: ER_101/1537er5a.mp3
- Featured Speaker: Barbara DiPietro, PhD
- Guest Website: National Health Care for the Homeless Council
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Guest Bio:
Barbara DiPietro, PhD, has been working in public policy for 15 years, many of them specifically focused on health care and homelessness.
She holds a Master's Degree in Policy Sciences and a Doctorate in Public Policy, both from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Her dissertation research focused on the impact of homelessness on emergency departments in Baltimore City, and she continues to work to ensure that health care systems can better serve vulnerable populations.
For 10 years, she worked for the State of Maryland in the Governor's Office as well as the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, helping coordinate health and human services policy and legislation, inter-agency children and family services, and the state's 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness. Barbara previously served in the U.S. Peace Corps, working to address maternal-child health issues in Malawi, a small country in southeast Africa. At this time, she is Senior Policy Director for two organizations—for the National Health Care for the Homeless Council and for Health Care for the Homeless of Maryland.
In these dual roles, she is able to focus on national, state and local health policy, with a specific aim to ensure the implementation of the Affordable Care Act accommodates the unique needs of homeless populations. - Length (mins): 10
- Waiver Received: No
- Host: Leigh Vinocur, MD
Published in
The Dr. Leigh Vinocur Show
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