No news locally, so here is some from my Apple News feed...
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The Sacramento Bee
4 hospitals united to tackle one of Sacramento’s toughest problems. Here’s what they did
Newsweek
Prince William says Diana inspired his 40th birthday pledge to help the homeless
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The Sacramento Bee
4 hospitals united to tackle one of Sacramento’s toughest problems. Here’s what they did
June 17, 2022 01:45 PM
Sacramento’s four hospital systems teamed up with WellSpace Health to tackle a longstanding challenge for the region’s homeless residents: Where can they go to get the conditions needed to recuperate after a hospital visit?
As of this year, the answer is a spacious, well-lit center at 4990 Stockton Blvd. in Sacramento. Roughly five years in the making, this new recuperative care facility cost $9 million to acquire, renovate and furnish. The funds for the project came from Dignity Health, Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, UC Davis Health, government sources and loans that WellSpace took out.
“Homelessness is what they call a wicked problem, a multifaceted problem that is very difficult to solve, and I don’t think there will be solutions unless we all come together with our collective resources and with the community and work together to try to solve it,” said Dr. Susan Murin, the interim dean for the School of Medicine at the University of California, Davis.
The building is named for longtime homeless advocate Gregory Bunker. Bunker, who died in 2010, led St. Francis House for 21 years, ministering to homeless Sacramentans.
A large graphic image of him greeting patients upon arrival in the lobby captures snippets from his favorite phrases. A few include “believe in miracles,” “form the seeds of community” and “calls us to love and action.”
Speaking at Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, Bunker’s son Jesse said: “I can’t think of a greater way to honor my father’s memory than this place devoted to overcoming adversity and hardship and hopefully giving people the opportunity to be great.”
Wellspace has already begun taking patients for its 100 or so bed at the site. WellSpace has acquired a variety of bed types to meet patient needs, and there are closets where they can lock away personal possessions.
The facility has a number of amenities for patients. They can access the internet on desktop computers in the “empowerment room.” There’s a snack room where patients have access to items like soup, coffee, yogurt or fruit 24 hours a day. They also can gather in one of seven day rooms to watch TV, play board games or read books.
Hospitals arrange rides to “the Bunker” for patients, or WellSpace case managers go to pick them up, said Jonathan Porteus, chief executive officer of WellSpace, which served roughly 125,000 Medi-Cal enrollees and uninsured residents in the Sacramento region last year.
Often, he said, that ride in the car is a way for the case managers to create a connection with a patient that they can’t get when they’re typing in information on a computer in an office.
An alternative to shelters
Until now, the hospital systems had worked with local shelters to get beds for those whose injuries could have worsened if they went immediately back to the streets, Porteus said, and WellSpace rented space from the shelters to station its staff members there to provide care.
Computer technician Joe Clymer of Sacramento said he went through a rough patch two years ago and needed shelter and health services after a hospital stay. The services they had at the shelter were very limited when compared to what unhoused residents will receive at the new Gregory Bunker Care Transitions Center for Excellence, Clymer recalled.
“I’m amazed,” Clymer said after a tour of the Bunker. “There is so much more open space. There are day rooms, there was the computer lab, which is near and dear to my heart. I’m a technician. I’ve done volunteer work at places for people coming out of prison who need help filling out job applications. ... They did a great job where they were, but now they can improve on that.”
How homelessness affects health
Under the previous arrangement, 50-60 beds were available, Porteus said, but this new facility allows room to grow that number and to expand to accommodate other types of patients. WellSpace and the hospital systems are now looking at providing recuperative care to patients who were seen in emergency rooms but were not sick enough for hospital admission.
“We’re designing a 25-bed program as a pilot,” he said. “Essentially, if someone shows up to the emergency department and they don’t actually need to be in the hospital, but the providers and the emergency department may have concern (about releasing them to the streets), they can say, ‘I’d like you to go for three to five days to this safe, clean place and start on this medication’ or ‘I think you’re really worn out and you need three days of recuperation in a safe, clean environment. They will prescribe that, and then we will receive someone for that time.”
Generally, homeless residents have higher rates of illness and, on average, they die 12 years younger than other U.S. citizens, and in many cases, the cause of homelessness is injuries and illnesses that people have sustained, according to the National Health Care for the Homeless Council.
WellSpace has a team of case managers who work closely with patients to ensure they get benefits they qualify for and to find them housing for when they leave. Patients can stay up to 90 days if medically necessary, but many simply need time to get through a course of antibiotics or let a wound heal.
Want to help?
If you want to help patients at The Bunker, you can contribute board games to the Gregory Bunker Care Transitions Center for Excellence. WellSpace Health CEO Jonathan Porteus said any donated games should be new, with the plastic wrapping still on the box, to give residents the joy everyone else has of opening something for the first time. Email info@wellspace.org to get more information.
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Newsweek
Prince William says Diana inspired his 40th birthday pledge to help the homeless
June 20, 2022
Prince William has honored his mother, Princess Diana, in a pledge made to mark his 40th birthday, vowing to continue to help Britain's homeless population.
To mark his milestone birthday, William has written an article for The Big Issue, a magazine set up to provide those experiencing homelessness with a form of employment through selling copies to members of the public.
To prepare for this article, William spent time with Big Issue vendor Dave Martin, 60, in London, which he called "truly eye opening."
In his article, the royal opened with a memory of his late mother, writing: "I was 11 when I first visited a homeless shelter with my mother, who in her own inimitable style was determined to shine a light on an overlooked, misunderstood problem."
"In the 30-odd years since, I've seen countless projects in this space grow from strength to strength, including charities of which I have had the honour of being Patron," he continued on The Big Issue's work.
William then wrote of his role as a member of the royal family and how, as he turns 40 on June 21, he wishes to dedicate himself to the work that his mother first introduced him to.
"I count myself extremely lucky to have a role that allows me to meet people from all walks of life, and to understand their full story – whatever it may be. It's a privilege that many of us, busy with our days, don't always afford," he said.
"And while I may seem like one of the most unlikely advocates for this cause, I have always believed in using my platform to help tell those stories and to bring attention and action to those who are struggling. I plan to do that now I'm turning 40, even more than I have in the past.
"So, for my part, I commit to continue doing what I can to shine a spotlight on this solvable issue not just today, but in the months and years to come.
"And in the years ahead, I hope to bring George, Charlotte and Louis to see the fantastic organisations doing inspiring work to support those most in need – just as my mother did for me.
"As she instinctively knew, and as I continue to try and highlight, the first step to fixing a problem is for everyone to see it for what it truly is."
William's dedication to his mother in his 40th year comes as 2022 also marks a poignant anniversary for the prince, that of 25 years since Diana's tragic death in a Paris car crash at the age of 36 when he was just 15 years old.
Diana took her two children to visit the homeless charity The Passage throughout the 1990s, and in 2019, William became its official royal patron. Mick Clarke, CEO of the charity, said of the royal's collaboration with The Big Issue that:
"The Duke has visited The Passage on many occasions over the years to meet our clients and raise awareness and support for people affected by homelessness... The Passage stands alongside The Duke, The Big Issue and many others who are working hard in the fight to end homelessness."
In the years since her death, William has increasingly spoken of her private support as a mother and also public patronage of many important charitable causes including those dedicated to mental health, homelessness and addiction.
William has recently also talked openly about the grief he experienced and continues to feel over losing his mother at such a young age. At the opening of a memorial garden to the victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing in May, he said:
"As someone who lives with his own grief, I also know that what often matters most to the bereaved is that those we have lost are not forgotten.
"There is comfort in remembering. In acknowledging that, while taken horribly soon, they lived. They changed our lives. They were loved, and they are loved."
In 2021, William reunited with younger brother Prince Harry to unveil a memorial statue to Diana in the gardens of her former home, Kensington Palace. In a joint statement released at the time, the brothers wrote:
"We remember her love, strength and character—qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better.
"Every day, we wish she were still with us, and our hope is that this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy."
William using his birthday to issue a statement of dedication for the future of his public work follows the tradition set by his grandmother, the queen.
On her 21st birthday, the then-Princess Elizabeth gave a famous speech in which she said: "I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be dedicated to your service."
The 96-year-old monarch has continued to reaffirm this dedication at significant milestones throughout her life. Most recently in a statement thanking the public for supporting her Platinum Jubilee, the queen said: "I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family."
As the monarch's increasing health and mobility problems cause her to limit the number of personal appearances she is able to make, William finds himself in his 40th year taking on a greater share of royal responsibilities.