One of the primary roles of County government is the administration of healthcare services to those in need who would otherwise not have access to care. Vulnerable and high risk populations, such as adults with mental health conditions, individuals who are homeless, and criminal justice populations, frequently experience health care disparities. The staff at the Sacramento County Health Center, in conjunction with the University of California, Davis, heroically provide care for those populations and others in need.
Health Care for the Homeless – through county programs, homeless individuals receive health assessments and triage at Loaves and Fishes’ Friendship Park and local shelters. In addition, individuals get assistance with healthcare enrollment and linkage to assigned providers. To ensure homeless individuals are not exposed to tuberculous (TB) staff, in collaboration with Dignity Health, provides TB clearance for those staying in designated shelters. And comprehensive primary care and behavioral health care services for homeless individuals is also available at the Health Center.
The county provided healthcare for 4,318 patients at the Health Center in 2015 and 65%, or 2,794, of those were homeless.
Healthy Partners – this new program, kicked off on January 4, 2016, provides primary care, radiology, laboratory, and some medication support for adults who are undocumented immigrants. Approximately 1000 patients, many of whom suffer from chronic conditions such as Diabetes and hypertension, have already enrolled.
Refugee Health Clinic – newly arriving refugees, asylees and victims of trafficking are referred to the Health Center by designated resettlement agencies. They are provided with comprehensive health assessments, communicable disease screening, and linkage to physical and behavioral health services. Individuals and families are then linked to health plans and medical homes for ongoing health and behavioral health services.
Between July of 2014 and June of 2015, the Refugee Health Clinic provided services for 1,415 patients, with the majority coming from Afghanistan (693) and Iraq (271).
These are just a few of the programs that the County of Sacramento offers to provide quality healthcare to those in need.