$2.SM capital grant supports temporary housing solution for Medi-Cal members in Merced who are homeless and recovering from an acute illness or injury
Scotts Valley, Calif., August 11, 2020 – The Central California Alliance for Health (the Alliance), the MediCal managed health care plan for residents of Monterey, Merced and Santa Cruz counties, has granted
$2.SM to Merced County Rescue Mission for a temporary housing facility for members experiencing homelessness. The new 32-bed facility will provide recuperative care services for individuals who need a safe place to recover following an inpatient hospital stay at Mercy Hospital in Merced and Sutter Hospital in Los Banos.
The new Hope Medical Respite Care facility will be on a new five acre “Village of Hope” campus, which breaks ground today at 129 Cone Avenue. Hope Respite Care is expected to be completed by the end of 2021. The new facility will expand the capacity of Hope Medical Respite Care from 10 to 32 beds. The campus will also include a ten-unit apartment building for veterans who are homeless, and a ten-unit apartment building for families with young children who are homeless, funded in-part through New Market Tax Credits.
“People who do not have a stable home environment experience extreme challenges in managing their medical care, especially after a hospitalization,” said Alliance CEO Stephanie Sonnen shine. “Recuperative and supportive care improves people’s health outcomes, and so we are pleased to support Hope Medical Respite Care through our Medi-Cal Capacity Grant Program to expand our member’s access to compassionate and necessary care.”
For the past six years, Merced County Rescue Mission has operated the recuperative care program in houses in Merced County. Recuperative care is an alternative to hospital and/or institutional care for patients who no longer meet medical necessity criteria but have medical needs that would be exacerbated by living on the street or in a shelter.
“The program has made a significant positive difference in the lives of men and women whose health has been compromised by living on the street,” said Merced County Rescue Mission CEO Dr. Bruce Metcalf. “Over 50 percent of the people who utilize the program do not return to the street but are able to be placed in housing.”
Central California Alliance for Health (the Alliance) is a regional Medi-Cal managed care health plan, established in 1996 to improve access to health care for over 340,000 members in Santa Cruz, Monterey and Merced counties. Using the state’s County Organized Health System (COHS) model, the Alliance delivers innovative community-based health care services by connecting members with providers that deliver timely services and care, focused on prevention, early detection and effective treatment. As an award-winning managed care health plan, the Alliance remains focused on efforts to improve access to quality health care for its members. For more information, visit www.ccah-alliance.org.
Merced County Rescue Mission has led an effort since 1991 to permanently improve the lives of those in Merced County who are homeless, those who have been incarcerated or have been imprisoned by their own addictions. They have implemented innovative programs designed to offer the greatest long-term benefit for men, women and families. For more information, visit www.mercedcountyrescuemission.org.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Linda Gorman
Central California Alliance for Health
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 831-236-0261
