Alameda Health System receives Building Trust grant for patient house calls

OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Alameda Health System (AHS) has received a new grant that will help doctors offer home visits to patients.

House calls are a model of care most often associated with old-fashioned or luxury health care. But the benefits of house calls may be most impactful when applied to vulnerable populations who are disproportionately impacted by social determinants of health that negatively impact their wellbeing.

Some AHS patients don't have reliable transit to go to and from doctor's appointments, which is just one structural barrier that can inhibit equal access to health care. The home visit program eliminates that barrier and focuses on addressing the social determinants of health that affect AHS patients.

For example, if a patient is repeatedly admitted to the emergency room, doctors will use house calls to try to understand and address the patient's underlying health problems and the socioeconomic factors impeding their access to preventative, regularly-scheduled health care appointments.

"This grant will help AHS offer low barrier and patient-centered, home-based medical care to folks who are in the safety net," said Dr. Alejandro Diaz, vice-chair of internal medicine at AHS. "It's a one-of-a-kind program that allows doctors to meet patients where they are and make direct interventions that can change the course of a patient's life. This program underscores our commitment to proactively addressing the barriers our patients face in receiving care."

The Building Trust grant is funded by the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM), the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), the ABIM Foundation, the American College of Physicians (ACP), and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and will provide AHS with around $40,000 to support the home visit program.

"These grants are a part of our ongoing commitment to building more inclusive and trustworthy health care systems," said Richard Baron, former president and CEO of ABIM and the ABIM Foundation. "By investing in health equity training, we're improving an important dimension of the quality of medical education and addressing the systemic inequities that have long undermined patient trust. These innovative and collaborative projects help to foster a health system where every patient feels respected, understood, and confident in the care they receive."

The home visit program not only benefits AHS patients, but is also an important training opportunity for AHS' internal medicine residents. Residents will apply lessons they've learned about structural determinants of health to real-life situations. The internal medicine residency at AHS is one of a few programs in the country to offer home visits, and the only one to specifically focus on social determinants of health.

"Many of our patients face daunting barriers in getting the help they need," said AHS CEO James Jackson. "By bringing doctors to their front door, we extend our commitment to community health beyond the four walls of our hospital. We tackle complex health problems by addressing their root cause. We extend our heartfelt thanks to AAIM, ABIM, the ABIM Foundation, ACP, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation for supporting our vital work of caring, healing, teaching and serving all."

About Alameda Health System

Alameda Health System (AHS) is a leading public, integrated health care provider and medical training institution recognized for its world-class patient and family-centered care. AHS provides comprehensive medical treatment, health promotion and disease prevention throughout our integrated network of hospitals, clinics and health services. AHS includes three acute care hospitals, a psychiatric hospital, four ambulatory care wellness centers, five post-acute facilities, and the only adult Level 1 Trauma Center and psychiatric emergency department in Alameda County. AHS is committed to promoting wellness and optimizing the health of the community through the mission of caring, healing, teaching and serving all. For more information, visit AlamedaHealthSystem.org.

CONTACT:
Eleanor Ajala
Manager, Media and Communications
Alameda Health System
(510) 421-9222
[email protected]

SOURCE Alameda Health System