El Camino funds healthcare for homeless

SAN JOSE – The Valley Homeless Healthcare Program (VHHP), part of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC), has received a $700,000 grant from El Camino Healthcare District (ECHD) to continue to provide homeless healthcare and dental services in the North County. The grant was accepted by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors at its meeting earlier today.

The funding provides critical services for an increasing homeless population in the North County, according to County Supervisor Joe Simitian, President of the Board of Supervisors and Chair of the Board’s Health and Hospital Committee. “Regrettably,” said Simitian, “our homeless population is growing throughout the county, including the West Valley and North County communities in my district.” Mountain View's homeless population, for example, jumped from 416 up to 606, a 46% increase in the past two years. The increase is even larger for Sunnyvale: 371 more homeless, a 147% spike in the past two years.

Since 2003, VHHP has provided homeless healthcare that includes primary care, behavioral health, and oral health in Santa Clara County. VHHP provides these services without regard to ability to pay. The grant that was first awarded in 2017, has provided increased access to mobile medical and dental services to homeless individuals in North County.

“Our dedicated staff provide compassionate, patient-centered care to people experiencing homelessness throughout Santa Clara County. We are excited to continue to provide much-needed mobile medical, mental health, and dental services in North County with the help of this grant from the El Camino Healthcare District,” said VHHP North County Medical Director Dr. Cheryl Ho.

In FY 2019:

• 328 Primary care and behavioral health patients were served;
• 975 Primary care and behavioral health visits occurred;
• 1,143 Dental patients were seen;
• And 3,402 Dental visits occurred.

“We are pleased to continue our partnership with the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, which has spanned a decade, to ensure community members with the greatest needs get the medical, dental and social support services necessary to manage their health,” said Barbara Avery, Director of Community Benefit at El Camino Health. “Three years ago, El Camino Healthcare District began investing in the homeless health van in North County as a response to increasing homelessness, while continuing to fund dental services for at-risk adults.”

The El Camino Healthcare District is a separate governmental entity that supports a wide range of programs and services that benefit our community through education, prevention, and support. The District, which encompasses most of Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills; a large portion of Sunnyvale, and small sections of Cupertino, Santa Clara and Palo Alto, makes a yearly allocation of funds to programs that serve residents who live, work, or go to school in the District.

“Kudos to El Camino,” said Simitian. “For the homeless folks in our community, access to health and dental care is always a challenge. When we identified the increasing need last year, El Camino stepped up, and now they’ve stepped up again.”