HCH Directory - Florida

 printer-friendly version | back

The Brevard Health Alliance, Inc

3661 Babcock Street
Melbourne, Florida 32901
Phone: 321-722-5910
Fax: 321-722-5910
Email: lgurri@brevardhealthalliance.org
Web: www.brevardhealthalliance.org
Director: Lisa Gurri
HCH Coordinator: Deborah Yesowitch, ARNP
Medical Director: Dr. Thomas Garvin
UDS Number: 0438230

Project Description

Mobile health unit provides primary care to multiple sites throughout the county of Brevard. We keep a monthly schedule which we publish for sites at soup kitchens, day labor, Walmart, low income neighborhoods and homeless camps.

Primary care, medication assistance, case management and access to volunteer specialist.

Multiple community partners

Statistics

Estimated homeless population: 3,000 Patients served: 2,000

Division of Human Services (Homeless Outreach Program)
810 Datura Street
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Contact: Georgiana Devine
Phone: 561-355-4775
Email: gdevine@co.palm-beach.fl.us

Camillus Health Concern, Inc.

336 NW Fifth Street
Miami, FL 33128-1616
Phone: (305) 577-4840
Fax: (305) 373-7431
Email: hkassaye@hcnetwork.org
Web: www.camillushealthconcern.org
Director: Hirut Kassaye, MPH
Medical Director: Rosendo I. Collazo, DO
UDS Number: 042400

Project Description

CHC provides a comprehensive and multidisciplinary range of primary, preventative and supplemental health services for all patients of all ages. Comprehensive services are provided at CHC's main site in downtown Miami and primary care services are provided at four service provider sites for homeless individuals: Better Way of Miami (substance abuse treatment center), Mother Theresa's Sisters of Charity (social services and shelter facility), Salvation Army (social services and shelter facility) and Camillus House Shelter Site (social services and shelter facility). Services include primary adult and pediatric medical care, mental health, oral health, podiatry, dermatology, respite care, case management, benefits eligibility services, HIV/AIDS prevention and education and transportation. Outreach and HIV/AIDS services are provided at community, street and shelter sites throughout Miami-Dade County where persons who are homeless congregate and reside. CHC e nsures that patients have access to comprehensive services by working with its sister agency, Camillus House, which offers meals, emergency shelter, transitional housing, and substance abuse treatment, along with other community-based agencies. Together Camillus Health Concern and Camillus House offer comprehensive health and social services for persons who are homeless.

CHC has five fixed sites and a number of street sites. Services are provided at its main site in downtown Miami and at four service providers for homeless individuals: Better Way of Miami (substance abuse treatment center), Mother Theresa's Sisters of Charity (social services and shelter facility), Salvation Army (social services and shelter facility), and Camillus House Shelter Site (social services and shelter facility). CHC has two full-time outreach teams – one focusing on medical street outreach and the other on HIV prevention education. Outreach services are provided at numerous street and shelter sites throughout Miami-Dade County. CHC provides adult and pediatric primary health care, respite care, women's preventive services, oral health, behavioral health, podiatry, specialty services, case management, benefits eligibility services, and transportation. CHC ensures that patients have access to comprehensive services by working with Camillus House, which offers meals, emergency shelter, transitional housing, and substance abuse treatment, along with community-based agencies. Together, Camillus Health Concern and Camillus House offer comprehensive health and social services for persons who are homeless.

CHC maintains extensive collaborations and linkages with a variety of partners in the community, including Jackson Memorial Hospital, Florida Department of Health, health professions training programs with the University of Miami School of Medicine, and various social service providers serving individuals who are homeless.

Statistics

Estimated homeless population: 4,333 Patients served: 4,084

Efrain Gonzalez, Ph.D.
12490 Southwest 96th Street
Miami, FL 33186
Contact: Efrain Gonzalez
Phone: (305) 284-2814
Fax: (305) 373-7431

Evelyn Lopez-Brignoni, MD
9500 South Dadeland Boulevard, Suite 604
Miami, FL 33156
Phone: (305) 670-1411

Community Health of South Florida, Inc

10300 Southwest 216 Street
Miami, FL 33190
Phone: (305) 253-5100
Fax: (305) 254-2011
Email: bhartley@hcnetwork.org
Director: Brodes H. Hartley, Jr., MHA
HCH Coordinator: Hermine Pollard
Medical Director: Anthony Amofah, MD, MBA, CHCQM
UDS Number: 040320

Project Description

Community Health of South Dade, Inc. (CHI) provides a full spectrum of comprehensive primary and behavioral health care services at six modern facilities and five school-based health centers. Services include eligibility assistance, transportation, interpretation, translation, case-management, outreach, and health education. CHI also has two 16 hour UCC centers, one at the Doris Ison center and one at the Martin Luther King Jr. Clinica Campesina, and an Ambulatory Walk-In Service (AWIS).

CHI provides comprehensive primary and behavioral health care services, including internal medicine, family practice, pediatric, OB/GYN, dental, mental health/substance abuse, and HIV/AIDS testing, treatment and counseling. The project's potential clients constitute 3,000 migrant and seasonal farm workers and homeless individuals. In addition to addressing health issues, CHI's services include school absenteeism, adolescent high risk behavior, pesticide exposure, and communicable disease. Outreach is a critical component for identifying new homeless users.

Linkages include South Dade Ministries Alliances, YMCA, Goulds Coalitions of Ministers and Lay Persons, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Homestead Hospital, Miami Children’s Hospital, Jackson South Hospital, Coalition of Florida Farmworker Organization (COFFO), Everglades Community Association, South Florida Aids Network, and Homestead Housing Authority.

Statistics

Estimated homeless population: 10,190 Patients served: 9,000

Camillus Health Concern, Inc.
336 Northwest Fifth Street
Miami, FL 33128
Contact: Alina Perez-Stable
Phone: (305) 374-1065
Fax: (305) 372-1402
Email: aperez-stablea@hcnetwork.org

Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida, Inc.

Mailing Address:
PO Box 1357
Fort Myers, FL 33902
Web: http://fhcswf.hcnetwork.org
Location:
2256 Heitman Street
Fort Meyers, FL 33901
Phone: (239) 278-3600
Fax: (239) 278-3203
Email: cspeelman@hcnetwork.org
Director:Frank Mazzeo DDS
HCH Coordinator: Carol Speelman, RN
Medical Director: James H. Taylor, DO
UDS Number: 041680

Project Description

The Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida Health Care for the Homeless Project is organized to improve the health status of people who are homeless through increased access to and availability of comprehensive health care services. The program collaborates with existing homeless providers in Lee County to help avoid duplication of services. Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida–HCH provides care at three sites: Salvation Army, Downtown Fort Myers Medical and Dental Center, and Community Cooperative Ministries Soup Kitchen. Outreach locations include Chapel by the Sea on Fort Myers Beach, All Soul's Episcopal Church in North Fort Myers, and Rescue Mission in downtown Fort Myers.

Services

Comprehensive primary care is available 5 days a week, including several evenings. Internal referrals for dental, women's health services, and pediatrics are located in close proximity to each site. Limited radiological services, pharmaceuticals, and specialty referrals are available. Partnering agencies provide mental health and substance abuse services. Clinical staff includes two ARNPs, a part-time internal medicine specialist, medical assistants, and an outreach worker. After-hours care and hospital services are provided by on-call providers at Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida.

Linkages

Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida has linkages with Lee County Health Department, Salvation Army, Ruth Cooper Center, Southwest Florida Addiction Services, Lee County Coalition for the Homeless, Florida Gulf Coast University-Department of Social Services, Community Cooperative Ministries, and Lee County Housing Authority.

Estimated homeless population: 8,000 Patients served: 4,500

Health Care Center for the Homeless, Inc.

232 North Orange Blossom Trail
Orlando, FL 32805
Phone: (407) 428-5751
Fax: (407) 428-6204
Email: bburns@hcch.org
Web: www.hcch.org
Director: Bakari F. Burns, MPH, MBA
Medical Director: Francoeur Cadet
UDS Number: 413580

Project Description

The Health Care Center for the Homeless (HCCH) is a 501(c)(3) founded in 1993 by Dr. Rick Baxley, a volunteer physician who saw the need to provide quality health care services to the homeless population in Orlando. HCCH initially shared a space at the Coalition for the Homeless, providing evening clinic hours one or two nights a week. In 1995,HCCH received a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to provide primary health care to the homeless in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties. In 2002, HCCH was granted funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Primary Health Care to increase the center's capacity and financially support the provision of primary and preventive health care services for the homeless. For many years, HCCH operated medical and oral health services out of three separate locations. In 2006, HCCH opened our clinic building, the Orange Blossom Family Health Center in Orlando, and doubled our capacity. HCCH is the sole provider of health care services for the homeless population in the tri-county area, taking a multi-disciplinary approach to delivering quality health care services. This approach merges aggressive street outreach with integrated systems of primary care, oral health, behavioral health and substance abuse counseling, case management, and advocacy. In 2007, HCCH received a $1.1 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Primary Health Care. This funding enabled us to increase our medical capacity and allowed us to create our HOPE Mobile Medical Unit. This 37 foot medical clinic on wheels is equipped with two exam rooms and a waiting area and is staffed by a physician assistant, a behavioral health counselor, and two medical assistants. This mobile unit is targeted at the homeless population in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties. 2008 saw the completion of our Phase II construction, adding four new medical exam rooms, medical and behavioral health offices, and a patient education and counseling center. The construction was funded by a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the City of Orlando and private funds. Within the next year, we hope to begin our Phase III construction, focusing on a dental clinic expansion, which will add four additional dental operatories and relocate the administrative suite.

Primary medical care is provided by a team of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, medical assistants, and student interns. Our goal is to create a medical home� for our patients in an effort to prevent the inappropriate use of hospital emergency rooms. HCCH is providing healthier options in the management of chronic diseases. Through the Health Disparities Collaborative, a program designed to reduce disparities in health outcomes for poor, minority, and other underserved people, we use a Chronic Care Model. This is designed to empower the patient to take charge in managing their own health. HCCH also operates an in-house pharmacy and has a full-time Patient Assistance Program (PAP) Coordinator. The PAP program helps patients obtain free medication through various pharmaceutical companies. We were able to double our capacity with the opening of our clinic building, but the demand for our services continues to grow. As we provide primary care, we have an Orange County Referral Specialist who provides patients with referrals for secondary care. Pediatric Care Poverty and homelessness do not discriminate based on age. The fastest growing homeless population is women with children. Domestic violence often affects innocent children and their health needs may be overlooked. At HCCH, our pediatric program provides services that include well child check-ups and immunizations. Our second mobile medical unit visits a local shelter to provide care for mothers and children. This outreach, along with other services provided at the Orange Blossom Family Health Center, is giving kids a healthier start in life. Vision Services We offer eye exams and distribute glasses free of charge. Through a partnership with Lions Club International and LensCrafters, we are helping people see better and take care of the precious gift of sight. LensCrafters provides free screenings and glasses for 30 of our patients every Thanksgiving as part of Hometown Days. Our Vision Center is the only source of free optometric services for the homeless in Central Florida. We also screen patients for vision related issues that may result from diabetes and other chronic illnesses. Dental Services Dental services at HCCH are provided by a team of dentists, hygienists, and dental assistants. Our range of services include emergency dental care, oral screenings, cleanings, restoration work, and referrals for surgery. In some cases, we are able to provide full or partial dentures aided in the process by our volunteer, Sister Jessica. We have also established a pediatric dental program that benefits both children and adults by providing oral health education. We believe good dental care not only gives someone a great smile, but also builds confidence. A nice smile can be essential in gaining employment in Florida's service driven economy. Behavioral Health Services Our behavioral health services are provided by two licensed mental health counselors, a licensed clinical social worker, and a psychiatric nurse practitioner. This program is the only one in Orange County furnishing behavioral health services to the homeless. Our team of counselors provides mental health and substance abuse counseling, individual and group therapies, and referrals to detoxification and crisis centers. Our psychiatric nurse practitioner is able to prescribe and manage medication on an on-going basis for our homeless clients with chronic behavioral health issues. Our clinic is also an approved site for graduate level mental health interns and students. Our behavioral health team is empowering our clients to make better choices in gaining control of their lives. Health Care Center for the Homeless The HOPE Team (Homeless Outreach Partnership Effort) Our outreach team is comprised of staff and volunteers working where the homeless live - on the streets and in the woods. The team provides basic needs such as food and clothing in an effort to build a rapport with clients who have an innate mistrust of people, eventually allowing staff to introduce clients to the services that HCCH can offer them. The team provides transportation for clients living in the woods to the clinic for health care appointments. The HOPE Team also assists homeless clients in obtaining identification cards, birth certificates, transitional housing, and referrals to behavioral health and substance abuse treatment programs. The team has also facilitated reconnecting individuals with their families. Mobile Medical Program Building on the success of our HOPE Team, HCCH launched the HOPE Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) in May of 2008, funded through a Federal grant. Serving the community for almost a year now, this 37 foot unit is equipped with two exam rooms and is staffed by a medical provider, a behavioral health counselor, and two medical assistants. This unit provides medical and behavioral health services for the homeless in the tri-county area, visiting 18 community partner sites each month who also serve the homeless. In 2009, HCCH launched a second mobile medical unit through the generosity of the Senior Resource Alliance and Florida Hospital. This second unit will allow us to reach even further in the community to connect homeless individuals who are unable to come to our clinic location for medical services they desperately need. This program mirrors the Regional Commission on Homelessness approach for addressing the health care needs of homeless in the tri-county area. The TB Shelter HCCH has the only residential facility for the homeless suffering from tuberculosis in the State of Florida. Our 10 bed residential shelter provides on-site supervised therapy for patients diagnosed with infectious tuberculosis. In operation since 1995, the shelter ensures patient safety and limits their contact with the community as a whole. Full recovery usually requires an average stay of six months and patients are monitored for their response to treatment. Twelve patients were served by this program in 2008, for a total of 1,272 bed nights. Patients are monitored for social and nutritional needs and are supplied with food partially funded by local churches. Emergency Room Diversion Program The Health Care Center for the Homeless (HCCH) has a Health Navigator in the emergency room at Orlando Health. Many within the homeless population use the emergency room as their primary medical care provider. To reduce this improper use, the Health Navigator routes homeless individuals to our clinic, the Orange Blossom Family Health Center. Here, they can receive consistent medical care and are provided a medical home. Of the patients that kept their ER follow up appointments at the Orange Blossom Family Health Center, 68% did not return to the emergency room.

HCCH has linkages to Heart of Florida United Way, Florida Hospital, Orlando Regional Healthcare, Orange County Health and Family Services, Primary Care Access Network (PCAN), and City of Orlando.

Estimated homeless population: 8,800 Patients served: 6,020

I.M. Sulzbacher Health Care for the Homeless

611 East Adams Street
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Phone: (904) 359-0457 Ext. 8100
Fax: (904) 359-0926
Email: cindyfunkhouser@tscjax.org
Web: www.sulzbachercenter.org
Director: Audrey Moran
HCH Coordinator: Cindy Funkhouser, MSW
Medical Director: Mary Robinson, MD
UDS Number: 420630

Project Description

The I.M. Sulzbacher Center provides on-site medical services to address the chronic and acute health care needs of the Center's guests who are homeless and other persons who are medically indigent and uninsured in the community.

The I.M. Sulzbacher Center's Health Care for the Homeless program provides adult primary care, mental health care, specialty clinics, HIV/AIDS testing and case management, TB testing, breast health care, vision care and prescription eyeglasses, and on-site medication. Care is provided by both paid and volunteer family practice physicians, specialty physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, case managers, and other support personnel. These services will now be offered at two locations with our recent expansion grant award enabling us to now cover the Jacksonville Beaches communities. The HOPE Homeless Outreach Project provides medical triage, HIV testing, HIV/AIDS linkage, mental health services and case management services to unsheltered persons who are living on the streets in Jacksonville. The Sulzbacher Dental Clinic provides care to relieve pain, eliminate infection, and restore the smiles and dental health of persons who are homeless.

The Sulzbacher Center partners with "We Care Jacksonville," a grass roots network of medical professionals, hospitals, and public health facilities that provide free medical and specialty care both on-site at the Sulzbacher Center as well as at scattered community and office sites throughout Jacksonville. The Community Asthma Project is based at the Sulzbacher Center's clinic and provides bimonthly specialty care for adults and children with asthma. Safe-Lite Optical and the Northeast Florida Optometric Association provide on-site eye exams and prescription glasses. St. Clinic and staff work cooperatively with the Duval County Public Health Department to provide HIV and TB testing and follow-up.

Statistics

Estimated homeless population: 18,393 Patients served: 8,921

North Broward Hospital District Health Care for the Homeless

303 SE 17th Street, Suite 502
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316
Phone: (954) 355-4953
Fax: (954) 355-4936
Email: sdimarzo@nbhd.org
Web: www.browardhealth.org
Director: Scott DiMarzo
HCH Coordinator: Nadine Reeves, RN, BSN
Medical Director: John Berges, MD
UDS Number: 412940

Project Description

The North Broward Hospital District Health Care for the Homeless Program provides comprehensive health care and social services to individuals who are homeless in Broward County at fixed and mobile locations.

Program staff provide comprehensive health, dental, and social services at mobile sites and community based health centers, including adult and family shelters, detox and substance abuse treatment centers, and day centers. Services are also provided at four medical centers. Access to substance abuse treatment is made through referral to Broward County Alcohol/Drug Abuse Services, residential treatment centers, and other local treatment facilities.

Specialty care is provided through informal relationships with local providers. These services include oral surgery, dentures, and ophthalmology/optical services. Emergency care, inpatient/outpatient services, and other specialty care services are provided by North Broward Hospital District medical centers and ambulatory locations.

Estimated homeless population: 8,000-10,000 Patients served: 9,059

Broward County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services Division
1011 SW Second Court
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312
Contact: Jackie Panellas
Phone: (954) 357-5454
Fax: (954) 357-5468
Email: jpanellas@broward.org

Broward House
PO Box 350367
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33335
Contact: Angelo Castillo
Phone: (954) 522-4749
Fax: (954) 522-9357

Ft. Lauderdale Retirement Home
401 SE 12th Court
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316-1919
Contact: Jackie Heath
Phone: (954) 524-3312
Fax: (954) 524-3314

Memorial Health Care System
4105 Pembroke Road
Hollywood, FL 33021
Contact: Rochelle Ayala
Phone: (954) 985-1551 Ext. 2037

Palm Beach County Health Department

800 Clematis Street
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Clinic: West Palm Beach Health Care for the Homeless Program
1150 45th Street
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
Phone: (561) 514-5300
Fax: (561) 514-5547
Email: Jacqueline_Lobban-Marsan@doh.state.fl.us
Web: www.pbchd.org/centers/westpalm.html
Director: Jacqueline Lobban-Marsan, MPA
HCH Coordinator: Yanick Gribkoff, ARNP
Medical Director: Amalinne Zito, MD
UDS Number: 041740

Project Description

The West Palm Beach Health Care for the Homeless Program provides comprehensive medical and dental primary and preventive health care services to homeless individuals and families located in Palm Beach County Florida.

Adult and pediatric primary care, OB/GYN, FP, STD, HIV, TB, immunizations, dental, social service and mental health/substance abuse referrals, and health insurance application assistance.

Oakwood Mental Health, Comprehensive Alcohol & Rehabilitation Program (CARP), Palm Beach Homeless Outreach Team, Legal Aide Society, Florida Smoking Cessation Program

Statistics

Estimated homeless population: over 5,000 Patients served: 3,435

Division of Human Services (Homeless Outreach Program)
810 Datura Street
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Contact: Georgiana Devine
Phone: 561-355-4775
Email: gdevine@co.palm-beach.fl.us

Pinellas County Human Services Department

647 First Avenue North
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Phone: (727) 582-7595
Fax: (727) 582-7228
Email: njackson@co.pinellas.fl.us
Web: www.pinellascounty.org/humanservices
Director: Maureen Freaney
HCH Coordinator: Natalie D. Jackson, MPA
Medical Director: Paulette Thompson, DO
UDS Number: 042040

Project Description

Pinellas County Human Services Department operates a Mobile Medical Unit which provides outreach to persons who are homeless in Pinellas County.

The Mobile Medical Team operates as a division of Pinellas County Human Services Department, providing medical care through outreach to shelters, soup kitchens, homeless drop-in centers, and other areas where persons who are homeless congregate. The team includes one physician, two RNs, a social worker, and two social work assistants/drivers. Services include comprehensive primary care for children and adults, well child/prevention care, emergency health services, prescriptions, referrals and payment for inpatient hospitalization, outreach, entitlement eligibility assistance, referrals to other providers in the social services network, referrals to medical specialists, and dental services. Two ARNP's provide on-site mental health assistance.

Substance abuse services are provided through agreements with Operation PAR, Turning Point-Inebriate Intervention Center, and Alcohol Community Treatment Services.

Estimated homeless population: 6,000 Patients served: 2,400

Directions for Mental Health
1437 Belcher Road
Clearwater, FL 33765
Contact: Tom Riggs
Phone: (727) 524-4464
Fax: (727) 524-4474
Email: riggs@directionsmn.org

Gulfcoast Legal Services
641 First Street South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Contact: Pamela J. Wiener
Phone: (727) 821-0726
Fax: (727) 821-3340
Email: pamelaw@gulfcoastlegal.org

Pinellas County Health Department
Florida Department of Health
PO Box 13549
St. Petersburg, FL 33733-3549

Tampa Community Health Centers, Inc. - Tampa Family Health Center

Mailing Address:
PO Box 82969
Tampa, FL 33612
Location:
1514 North Florida Avenue
Suite 300
Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: (813) 866-0930
Fax: (813) 866-0929
Email: cbottoms@hcnetwork.org
Web: www.tampachc.com
Director: Charles R. Bottoms
HCH Coordinator: Charles R. Bottoms
Medical Director: Theophilis Sai, MD
UDS Number: 412810

Project Description

Tampa Community Health Centers delivers health services to people who are homeless in the Tampa area through its satellite facilities, Tampa Family Health Center and a mobile van.

The project operates a clinic and an outreach/case management unit. The clinic is located in the vicinity of a number of homeless shelters, a homeless family care unity, and several soup kitchens. The clinic is staffed by a full-time physician, ARNP, dentist, and hygienist. Tampa Community Health Center provides primary health care, case management, social services, and health and nutrition education to families, single adults, and runaway youths.

Linkages include Hillsborough County Homeless Coalition, Bay Area Legal Services, VA Homeless Office, Salvation Army, Metropolitan Ministries, Tampa Housing Authority, and other shelters and agencies working with individuals who are homeless.

Statistics

Estimated homeless population: 11,500 Patients served: 2,033