Grant Announced To Expand Health Services To Homeless Patients

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- National Health Foundation (NHF) has announced a $250,000 grant award from the Harold Edelstein Foundation to support the expansion of recuperative care services for the homeless hospital patients.  The award was launched through Social Venture Partner's "Fast Pitch" program, a training program for social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders that led to the attention of Edelstein Foundation's CEO, Frederick A. Simmons. "The Harold Edelstein Foundation grant to NHF will expand post-hospitalization healthcare services to homeless patients in the San Gabriel Valley area," stated Simmons. 

Set in vacant motels and staffed with medical personnel to help the homeless recuperate off the streets, NHF's services have already served over 2,000 homeless people. With a simple referral by hospital social workers, Recuperative Care Center arranges for transportation of the homeless patient, who arrives from the hospital within hours of referral with medications and follow-up care instructions for an average stay of 10 days.  At the center, a nurse monitors the patient's condition, a social worker develops a discharge plan and a director communicates with hospital until medical issues are resolved. Millions in cost savings have been realized to over 60 area hospitals since program inception in 2010.

Chief Operating Officer Kelly Bruno states that, "Of all the recuperative care programs that exist today, there are only two that are completely sustained through revenue received from partnering hospitals - and NHF runs them both."  The Edelstein Foundation grant will complete a $1.238 million campaign for the San Gabriel Valley project's start-up funding.  "After that," states Bruno, "our program requires no philanthropic funding and no ongoing government support."  Programs of particular interest to the Edelstein Foundation address issues of homelessness, hunger and overpopulation.  "Harold Cares" and "Harold's Coffee Pot" are some of the educational programs named in memory of the benefactor who died in 1999. "Harold Edelstein would be pleased to see his support help recuperative healthcare services expand for the homeless, where they are needed most," said Simmons.  For more information, visit www.nhfca.org.

About NHF:

For the past 40 years, National Health Foundation (NHF) has been an innovative leader in improving access to healthcare by developing projects that promote and support more effective healthcare delivery and ultimately, better personal health.  People served by NHF include: hospital patients who are homeless and in need of recuperative care; students in South LA who are engaged in nutrition education and obesity prevention; families involved in their loved ones' hospital care; teenagers who are pregnant, parenting students striving to finish school; and hospital workers who are putting patient safety first.  Visit www.nhfca.org.

SOURCE National Health Foundation