Responding to the Need-- Our Growth at a Glance!

The harsh reality of life on the streets of Skid Row is more than challenging--it is a daily struggle for survival. When sickness or disease becomes part of this struggle, it can seem overwhelming. The patients who come through the doors of the LAMCC have few other options for relief and treatment. They come here because of our easy accessibility and warm, caring atmosphere. They come here because they know they will be treated as ordinary people, not grouped into a category called homeless. And they come here because they know, even without money or insurance, they will be provided treatment and medications.

Our programs and services are designed to address the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in our community. Priorities are set based on public health data and continual feedback through patient and community surveys. Through these means, we have found that our patients suffer from extremely high rates of HIV, STDs, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis C, suicide, and among resident families, low birthweight. Rates of these illnesses are a striking two to four times that of comparison populations. Also prevalent are diabetes, cancer, and heart disease -- diseases that are common everywhere, but which tend to become more complicated and lead to higher mortality in homeless patients with poor access to care. We additionally see a high rate of minority patients, relative to comparison populations.

Over the past three years, LAMCC has worked to identify and respond to the most urgent health care needs of this population. Specific accomplishments include: 1) Addition of walk-in services in 2002, to provide timelier care and easier access for homeless patients who have urgent needs or simply have difficulty keeping appointments; 2) Implementation of rapid (20 minute) HIV testing technology in the spring of 2003 - on-site and at outreach locations - to ensure that every homeless patient is informed of his or her results and receives appropriate counseling and referrals; 3) Expansion of dental services in the spring of 2003, in response to overwhelming demand for dental care among the homeless. The provision of partials and dentures was added due to their importance to homeless individuals who are seeking employment, and 4) Addition of pediatric services in the spring of 2004, in response to the increasing number of homeless children and families residing in Skid Row.

The following chart illustrates our growth over the last 4 years: