TAKING IT TO THE STREETS BRH - STREET OUTREACH PROGRAM Blue Ridge Health – 7th Avenue was awarded two grants that will allow staff to further support the homeless population in the communities we serve. Funds from the NC Emergency Solutions Grant and the Community Foundation of Henderson County are being used to respond strategically to COVID-19 and has the potential to help countless individuals exit homelessness and stay safer and healthier during the pandemic. Trisha Ecklund, Vulnerable Population Program Coordinator, said, “The grant awards are crucial in allowing us to connect patients with a safe place to isolate or quarantine if they are unsheltered and are in need, and providing access to care to those that may not have the resources otherwise. “We plan to begin actual street outreach by going to local encampments and providing individuals with food, water and hygiene packs with hopes to engage with them and connect them to services they may otherwise not have sought out,” said Ecklund. As part of the new street outreach program, Dr. Joshua Christian plans to start visiting encampments providing street medicine to patients that are unable or unwilling to visit the clinic in person. These efforts will help our community gather a real-time accurate data list of who is experiencing homelessness. Ecklund is excited to see how the expansion of the services provided by the 7th Avenue clinic in Hendersonville will impact our community and create a model that may be duplicated in other communities across the BRH service area. QUALITY HEALTHCARE THAT IS ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE FOR ALL.
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