Healthcare and Homelessness Pilot

What is the Healthcare and Homelessness Pilot?

In December 2020, Community Solutions and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement launched a pilot seeking to answer this question and lay the groundwork for spread and scale of solutions nationally. Building on an increasing awareness by health systems that they have an “anchor mission” to better support and invest in the overall health of communities they serve, this pilot brings together local health systems and homeless response systems from 5 communities involved in the Built for Zero initiative. 

Participating pilot sites and health care partners

  • Bakersfield/Kern County, California – Kaiser Permanente, CommonSpirit Health 
  • Washington County, Oregon – Kaiser Permanente, Providence Health System
  • Sacramento County, California – Kaiser Permanente, CommonSpirit Health, University of California – Davis Health, Sutter Health
  • Anchorage, Alaska – Providence St. Joseph Health
  • Chattanooga, Tennessee – CommonSpirit Health
Bakersfield, Kern County, California

How health care can help create structural change

We’ve identified five “pillar” areas that together we believe will lead to a comprehensive, meaningful role for a health system in their community.

Inflow

Prevent the inflow of individuals into chronic homelessness

Commitment

Build sustained belief in and commitment to ending homelessness at the population level

Governance

Establish shared language and mechanisms for collaboration, measurement and governance

Housing placements

Increase housing placements and retention rates for
those experiencing chronic homelessness

Financing

Establish and build upon financial mechanisms aligned to reducing and ending chronic homelessness

Want to learn more?

• Read our overview of the Healthcare x Homelessness Pilot.

• Learn about the pilot’s Theory of Change.

• Dig into this Foundations Starter Pack

• Explore IHI’s Pathways to Population Health Compass

• Listen to the pilot’s Kick-Off Call recording or review the slides.

Case Studies

IN ANCHORAGE, A COMPLEX CARE SHELTER SUPPORTS MEDICALLY VULNERABLE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS

GOVERNING: A MAJOR EFFORT TO LINK HOMELESS RESPONSE AND HEALTH CARE

Anchorage, Alaska

FEATURED CASE STUDY

HEALTH CARE IS KEY TO COORDINATING HOMELESSNESS SOLUTIONS

The homelessness response system in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a year into a pilot with CommonSpirit Health to model the role health systems can play in helping end chronic homelessness.

Learn More

WORKSHOPS

Recordings, Slides & Notes

  • All Pilot Site Call Recordings & Slides
  • Quarterly Workshop recordings & notes
  • Any other relevant workshop content

EXPLORE

PILOT TOOLKIT

Tools to support your work and projects

  • Data Toolkits from BfZ
  • Healthcare tools from IHI
  • Relevant research & reports

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STORYBOARDS & NOTES

Working slides, call notes and storyboards

  • Storyboards for each community
  • Working slides (updated monthly)
  • Other relevant notes & documents

EXPLORE