People who have unstable housing or experience homelessness after hospitalization have 30 percent more visits to the ER after discharge than people with stable housing, a situation that creates major challenges in a patient\u2019s recovery. To tackle the problem, Maine Medical Center (MMC), Greater Portland Health (GPH), a federally qualified health center, and Preble Street have partnered to establish a recuperative care program (RCP) for supporting patients discharged with unstable housing. The RCP offers a special model of care for people who no longer need hospital services, but do need a safe, stable place to fully recover from their hospital stay.<\/p>\n
The program, located at 934 Congress Street in Portland and opened in September 2022, is a short-term space that allows homeless clients an opportunity to rest and heal in a safe, supportive environment, rather than alone on the streets or in a shelter where recovery can be difficult. 934 Congress Street has 15 beds with a common room and bathrooms \u2014 similar to a school dorm \u2014 and 24\/7 staffing. The program is run by Greater Portland Health. In addition to providing recuperative care, GPH connects clients with community resources, so they are better positioned to succeed once they leave the facility.<\/p>\n
The idea for a recuperative care facility first came about in 2012 when members of MMC\u2019s Long Stay Intervention Workgroup researched the idea. They visited established RCPs and started tracking MMC patient data for potential length-of-stay reduction. This led to a trial of smaller iterations of the concept in Portland, which had promising results. In 2016, a select group of employees attended an Advisory Board Fellowship in Washington, D.C., an opportunity sponsored by the hospital for participants to build executive leadership skills and work together on a specific challenge. They chose the challenge of safe discharges for vulnerable patients as their capstone project, building upon the Workgroup\u2019s efforts and partnering with Greater Portland Health and Preble Street. The three organizations came together to provide the space, staffing, resources and funding that keep the RCP operational.<\/p>\n
The recuperative care model is the first in Maine and has shown great success. In its first six months the RCP supported 44 clients. The average length of stay at the center is 21 days, and use of the center has reduced 950 \u201cbed days\u201d at MMC, freeing up space for patients that need hospital care. Patients discharged to a recuperative care facility have fewer ER visits and inpatient stays, have reduced gaps in care and are more likely to use appropriate outpatient services. This is true for the clients at 934 Congress Street. One former client says they were able to finish their antibiotic treatment \u201call the way for the first time.\u201d Another client says they\u2019ve \u201caccomplished sobriety for six weeks,\u201d were accepted at a sober living house, cleared of infection and are now walking without a walker.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>