THE VIEW Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program / Fall/Winter 2014 FROM THE BRIDGE This issue: Palliative Care at Home p2 / Gala p3 / Family Team back cover www.bhchp.org LEAVING A MARK A message from Chief Executive children in the greater Boston area. Officer, Barry Bock, and President, Today, we care for more than Dr. Jim O’Connell 12,000 men, women and children at 70+ locations. Our Mission: The mission of Boston As we anticipate our 30th year of Health Care for the Homeless Program caring for Boston’s homeless community Your attention, your financial support, (BHCHP) is to provide or assure access in 2015, we find ourselves reflecting a your involvement and your spreading to the highest quality health care lot on the years gone by. Particularly on the word has sustained us for three for all homeless men, women and our minds of late is an early highlight decades and we thank you from the children in the greater Boston area. of the relationship we had with Robin bottom of our hearts. We Offer: Primary Care, Williams. He, Billy Crystal and Whoopi Behavioral Health, Oral Health, Goldberg (in the days before they were Family Services, Case Management, household names), were good friends Addictions Services, Medical to BHCHP through the partnership that Respite Care, and Outreach their charity, Comic Relief, had with the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. We received critical financial support from their nationally televised comedy specials, helping us grow into the organization we are today. We’ll never forget the day Robin spent with us on the streets and at Long Island Shelter in 1988. He was quiet and thoughtful, but once you got him going he had us, and (from left) Billy Crystal and Robin Williams with Maya Mundkur, a former BHCHP Nurse the shelter guests, rolling with laughter. Practitioner, and Dr. Jim O’Connell during We are grateful for the memories of their 1988 visit to Boston. this brilliant and caring man who felt a special closeness to the most vulnerable We Are: Administrative Staff, Building & among us. We’ve grown from a staff Maintenance Staff, Case Managers, We’ve come a long way since those of six people with a big Dental Assistants, Dentists, Food startup days thanks to you, our com- Services Staff, Behavioral Health munity of supporters and collaborators. dream to more than 300 & Substance Abuse Counselors, We’ve grown from a staff of six people Community Health Workers, Benefits with a big dream to more than 300 staff staff and 100 volunteers Enrollment Specialists, Nurse and 100 volunteers who keep that dream who keep that dream alive Practitioners, Physicians, Physician alive every day: to provide or assure Assistants, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, access to the highest quality health every day. Registered Nurses, Social Workers, care for all homeless men, women and Respite Aides, AmeriCorps/Community HealthCorps Members The View From the Bridge is a publication of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, bridging the gap between homelessness and health 24/7/365. For additional information please contact: Carrie Eldridge-Dickson, Manager of Leadership Giving, ([email protected]) at 857-654-1048 or Catie Colliton, Donor Relations & Communications Coordinator, ([email protected]) at 857.654.1044. MOVING PALLIATIVE CARE FROM THE McINNIS HOUSE TO PATIENT HOME If you’ve been reading our newsletters Katya was intelligent and articulate, but who know you and care about you,” and emails in recent years, you will likely had a difficult time accepting how ill her says McInnis House Director of Nursing, remember stories about Kervin, Jorge, mother was. Early this summer, Irina had Cheryl Kane, who was very involved in Tommy, and “Celine”—all patients who been diagnosed with metastatic breast Irina’s case. “The challenge here was that received palliative care at the Barbara cancer and her decline was precipitous. up until now, we had cared for patients McInnis House at the end of their Too ill to remain at home, she shuttled only at the McInnis House; we had never lives. As the need for more specialized between the McInnis House and a nearby done end-of-life care at home.” services and greater dignity in death hospital over the next couple of months. With Irina actively dying, our team has emerged, clinicians at the McInnis At the McInnis House, we would manage here sprang into action. They readied House have become adept at caring for her symptoms and keep her comfortable. the small apartment for her care, our patients who are dying and your But invariably, her fever would spike negotiated the necessary paperwork, support has made this level of care or she would experience other severe and coordinated the details to bring in possible. And while most of our patients cancer symptoms and we would have to hospice services. Upon discharge from stay in shelters or on the streets, BHCHP send her back to the hospital. the hospital, Irina was in terrible pain continues health services to those of and lay clutching her daughter in the our patients who have been able to “It’s a basic human right small bed they were sharing, afraid to let secure housing, often with our help. Until her go. Our medical director, Dr. Jessie this summer, however, we had never to be able to die in a Gaeta, consulted with MGH palliative provided palliative care to any patient dignified way, surrounded care expert, Erica Wilson, MD, about outside of the Barbara McInnis House. by people who know you the best pain medication and once “Irina” was a 75-year-old Eastern administered by our nurses, Irina’s pain European immigrant who at one point and care about you.” and agitation were reduced. The next in her life had lived on the streets and morning, not much more than 24 hours in shelter with her adult daughter, During Irina’s last hospital stay, she after she left the hospital, Irina died, “Katya”, before moving into housing. took a turn for the worse and Katya, with her beloved daughter Katya lying Having fled an abusive situation, they now acknowledging that her mother beside her. had been each other’s sole companion was terminal, told us that it was very “For all of us who were involved, this and support and their love was palpable. important that her mother die at home. was a powerful experience,” says Kane. Irina communicated with her BHCHP “It’s a basic human right to be able to die “It reminded us about why we went into caregiving team solely through Katya, in a dignified way, surrounded by people this profession, to care for patients and who was a strong advocate for her. families compassionately, right up to the very end.” THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS: BHCHP’S YOUNG PROFESSIONALS BOARD What does an organization do when professional backgrounds and is focused it knows that its impact in the future on aiding BHCHP’s work through depends, in large part, on its relevance fundraising, networking, volunteer to the region’s next generation of and educational events. The Board is professional leaders? seeking to expand its reach into the world of Boston’s future leaders and is Boston Health Care for the Homeless currently seeking to add new members Program (BHCHP) is very fortunate who will bring additional skills of to partner with a growing group of influence and knowledge to BHCHP. these leaders; smart, talented and compassionate women and men who BHCHP is keenly aware that the hands offer their diverse body of professional that will help shape the future are (from left) Aimee & Scott Cronin, Matt & Michelle Mitchell. knowledge in service to BHCHP’s present already laboring to ease the pains of and future. The group works together to the present. This generous gift of time plan events, increase awareness about and talents is enlightening the paths of our work throughout the community and change that lie ahead. educate other young professional’s on If you or someone you know may be interested the issues of health and homelessness. in joining our program’s Young Professionals The Young Professionals Board Board, please contact Alyssa Brassil at [email protected] or 857-654-1046. at BHCHP unites a wide variety of 2 THE 5TH ANNUAL MEDICINE THAT MATTERS GALA BHCHP was the grateful beneficiary suffering from severe and persistent of much support at our annual Medicine mental illness. For the past five years that Matters gala held on May 12th at she has cared directly for patients at our the Seaport Hotel. With meaningful St. Francis House Clinic. Dr. Shtasel has awardees and a spontaneous act of helped us improve services for those generosity, this was an event that suffering from co-occurring mental showcased our work, our partners, health and substance use disorders, and, most importantly, our patients. devoting hours each month to meeting with our clinicians and assisting us Covidien received the 5th Annual Tim with treatment plans for our most Russert Award for its philanthropic challenging patients. leadership and loyal partnership. The global health care products pioneer has Perhaps the highlight of the evening been supporting BHCHP for more than was hearing from two of our Family a decade. From its early support of our Team patients, Jason and Samantha, capital campaign that helped us reach who attended the event with their three our ambitious goal of “a home of our young sons and their doctor, Summer own” in the South End to its provision Bartholomew, MD. Becoming homeless of medical supplies and employee after Jason lost his job as a sheet metal volunteerism—Covidien has worked worker, the family was placed in a motel alongside BHCHP in delivering medicine for more than a year.