San Jose Medical Facility For Homeless Celebrates Anniversary
SAN JOSE (KCBS) – A medical respite program in San Jose that gives homeless patients somewhere to go after being discharged from hospitals is celebrating its second anniversary. More than 200 people have been helped over the past year by the 15-bed medical respite program being run by Dr. Audrey Kuang.
"Patients would be discharged to the street where they would have no way to care for themselves, meaning that ultimately what would happen is that they would get readmitted or go back to the E.R. even sicker than they were before," said Kuang.
KCBS' Mike Colgan Reports:
The program is a collaborative effort between the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California, six hospitals located in Santa Clara County, EHC LifeBuilders, and the Valley Homeless Healthcare Program (a division of Santa Clara County Health and Hospital System). The program operates out of EHC's Boccardo Reception Center on Little Orchard Street in San Jose and is expected to serve 350-500 homeless patients annually.
Tommy, who has been homeless for two years, had major surgery a few months ago, and was thankful to have somewhere to go.
"I get choked up sometimes because family is supposed to be family, but a lot of my family hasn't been there for me. They've done more for me here than my family has done in a lifetime," said Tommy.
Since its inception, this program has saved hospital systems more than two million dollars.
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