Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program receives HHS funding and has Federal PHS deemed status with respect to certain health or health-related claims, including medical malpractice claims, for itself and its covered individuals.
Ensuring Access
The street team epitomizes BHCHP’s commitment to widening and guaranteeing access to high-quality health care. Rather than wait for patients to arrive at our clinics, the street team identifies potential patients living on the streets of Boston and brings care directly to them, day after day, week after week, and sometimes year after year. A patient’s ability to make it to a hospital or clinic is no longer a precursor to them receiving immediate medical care.
If and when a patient is interested in receiving ongoing follow-up care, BHCHP offers a number of supports, including transportation stipends, a system for walk-in appointments, and a specific clinic dedicated to rough sleepers. As or most importantly, though, are the relationships the street team forms with patients: It’s the trust built and compassion extended that makes patients feel comfortable receiving and pursuing more care, eliminating the barrier that mistrust in and judgment from the health care system so often places in between rough sleepers and wellbeing.
