Partnership With Chattanooga Homeless Healthcare Center

Yesterday we met with Joe and Cindia from the Homeless Healthcare Center. This is a place we highlighted in A Drop in the Bucket. If you don't know what they do, please check them out. It's a unique facility in that it is only one of five in the United States and one reason those experiencing homelessness make their way to Chattanooga. 

Chattanooga Homeless Healthcare Center

Here is some of what they do:

One of the unique services we offer is the Homeless Health Care Center, located across the street from the Community Kitchen at 730 E. 11th St., in downtown Chattanooga. The clinic provides Hamilton County’s homeless population with diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses, routine physical exams, issuance of medications, mental health and substance abuse evaluation and treatment, assistance with entitlement programs and housing placement, and transportation to and from the clinic. Each year approximately 10,000 visits are made to this clinic.

• Our Vision is: Self-sufficient, housed, healthy people
• Our Mission is: To ensure access to quality, comprehensive health care and social services for homeless people in our community without discrimination.

We are a federally funded health care for the homeless program. We first opened in 1988 and in 1994 moved to our present location. We have formal arrangements in place to secure services for some of our patients through Johnson Mental Health Center, Erlanger Medical Center, CADAS, Southside/ Dodson Avenue Health Centers and Memorial Hospital. In 1998 we were accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations and in 2001 our substance abuse recovery program was accredited by the behavioral health section of JCAHO. 

Scope Of Service

• Primary Medical Care for homeless people of all ages, including acute and preventive health care, immunizations and referrals
• Medical Outreach to 8 area shelters for children and families
• Social Service Outreach to area shelters, campsites, hospitals, any location as requested and as time permits
• Intensive Outpatient Substance Abuse treatment
• General Case Management
• Transportation for clients, as time permits 

We are so excited to work with them!!