Street medicine pilot launches in Garden Grove

[quaint]

OCRegister

The program brings medical care workers directly to folks experiencing homelessness

The street medicine program is being organized by the county’s provider of publicly funded health coverage, CalOptima Health, in partnership with the city of Garden Grove and Healthcare in Action, a medical group that provides health care and other services to unhoused individuals. Through a $4 million, two-year contract, Healthcare in Action will deliver care to up to 200 CalOptima members using a medical van to reach those living in parks, under freeways and elsewhere on the streets.

"We feel very strongly about, when it comes to street medicine, unlike the traditional health care system, it’s rapport first, and then care second,” she said. “If you can’t build rapport with those that you’re serving, you won’t be able to provide the care. So, you have to have folks on your team who know what it feels like to be unhoused. Lived experience is very important."

Challenges the teams will face include locating their patients and providing medications, because most pharmacies require a form of identification, according to Kaska.

"Some of the barriers that we’ve tried to avoid still exist within other areas, and we try our very best to navigate those waters and provide the care despite the barrier," he said. "Some of our teammates, for instance, will go and will pick up the medication for the patient and deliver it back to them, which is time intensive, but it matters."

Wishing success, and that it becomes a model for other cities.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. All the best to those providing care to the homeless! There is hardly a group more in need. nt

[peppertree]

2. The OC Register has certainly changed its tune

When I lived in OC, around 20/25 years ago, it was nothing but ethnic cleansing from them.

Once, they compared Hispanics to red ants "who'll arrive as stowaways, work for cheap - but will quickly invade any well-tended garden."

They never retracted, much less apologized.

[quaint]

3. That is still the flavor of their editorials.

[peppertree]

4. Sad to hear that - though not surprised

I also remember their describing Democratic voters as "rushing to the polls in their GEO Metros" (the racial insinuation was a little more subtle - but to SUV-driving Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Republicans, it was there).

And then, they'll have some toadie write a feel-good piece about Mission San Juan Capistrano.

[quaint]

5. They're much more Republican than Libertarian these days.

[peppertree]

6. Sure! And in the '90s and Aughts too.

I would, occasionally, run into a self-professed "Libertarian" - but they'd spout all the same talking points, including the coded language about "getting people off welfare."

Of course, if you pointed out that corporate welfare was bigger by far (and, as studies have shown, results in much less added economic output than social welfare), they'd just shake their heads and say "nah-ah."

Like 8 year-olds.