The Community Foundation is excited to continue our Leaders of the Future series, highlighting the work and experiences of incredible individuals and organizations from across our community of philanthropic, community, professional advisor, corporate, and nonprofit partners.
In honor of National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week, we’re pleased to feature Dr. George L. Leventhal, Director of Community Health at Kaiser Permanente. Dr. Leventhal is a long-time regional advocate in the fight against homelessness and sits on the Leadership Council of the Partnership to End Homelessness.
Homelessness has been described as a public health crisis. Research done by the National Alliance to End Homelessness found that individuals within the homeless population often experience conditions of diabetes, heart disease, and HIV/AIDS at rates that are three to six times higher than that of the general population. Additional data from the most recent Point in Time Count found that the majority of single adults experiencing homelessness are over the age of 55.
These statistics paint a sobering picture during the warm summer months. However, as winter approaches and the temperatures drop, that picture becomes deadly.
“Homelessness is a public health catastrophe,” shared Dr. George L. Leventhal, Director of Community Health at Kaiser Permanente. “Living unsheltered is terrible for the body. Those that sleep on the street are often unable to get a good night’s rest. That impacts their mental health. They’re also exposed to stress factors which impact their body’s ability to fight infection.”
Dr. Leventhal with members of the Partnership to End Homelessness Leadership Council visit with the staff of Joseph’s House – one of just four medical respite sites located in DC.
Dr. Leventhal has been involved in the regional homelessness sphere for more than two decades, serving on the Montgomery County Council and chairing the Council’s Health & Human Services Committee from 2002 to 2018. He also served on the Council’s Planning, Housing, and Economic Development Committee and played a key role in the Montgomery County’s efforts to end homelessness in one of Maryland’s most populous counties.
Now as the Director of Community Health at Kaiser Permanente and a member of the Partnership to End Homelessness Leadership Council, Dr. Leventhal is taking aim at another critical issue – Medical Respite Centers.
Along with the Partnership to End Homelessness’ Leadership Council, Kaiser has identified Medical Respite as a key priority in the fight to end homelessness. “Medical respite centers are places where someone who has been discharged from hospital can take time to rest and recover before returning to their everyday routine,” Dr. Leventhal explained. “While most of us can do that at home, those experiencing homelessness don’t have access to that kind of environment – and are more likely to need to go to the emergency room and be readmitted after hospitalization.”
According to the National Institute for Medical Respite Centers, there are only 145 Medical Respite programs across the United States. Of those, only eleven of those are located in the DMV – two in Maryland, five in Virginia, and four in DC.
Medical respite beds at Joseph's House - one of the four locations offering medical respite care for individuals suffering from HIV, cancer, and homelessness in DC.
“The average medical respite center has about 16 beds,” Dr. Leventhal explained. “Considering there are nearly 10,000 people experiencing homelessness in the DMV right now – that’s not even a drop in the bucket.”
For Dr. Leventhal and Kaiser Permanente, the issue is both a public health issue and a public cost issue. Not only are hospital readmittances damaging for a patient’s health – they are also extremely costly for the patient, the hospital, and health care providers. A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the average cost of a hospital stay in DC was $3,974 – per day.
“It’s in our best interest as healthcare providers to ensure that everyone has access to the care and services they need to stay healthy,” Dr. Leventhal added. “That’s why Kaiser Permanente is committed to bringing more Respite Centers to the DMV.”
Kaiser Permanente is working with Volunteers of America Chesapeake and Carolinas, along with an advisory board including hospitals, local government, and nonprofit service provides, to open a Medical Respite Center in Prince George’s County. If successful, the center would be the first in the county.
The project - which is still in the early phases of development - could also potentially ease the pressure on service providers in DC, which sometimes provide services for individuals experiencing homelessness coming to the District from neighboring counties.
“One of the biggest obstacles is that there is no clear language in Maryland or DC’s Medicaid regulations that indicates that medical respite services are billable to Medicaid – meaning that charities operating these centers struggle to cover the cost,” Dr. Leventhal shared. “While some things – like PSH (permanent supportive housing) - are clearly defined and covered – medical respite isn’t.”
As Dr. Leventhal and Kaiser Permanente navigate the logistics of this exciting new project, The Partnership to End Homelessness has served as an important resource and facilitator. In November, Dr. Leventhal joined other Leadership Council members for a site visit at Joseph’s House – one of the four locations offering medical respite care for individuals suffering from HIV, cancer, and homelessness in DC.
“The Partnership to End Homelessness is a great way to get connected with the work that is being done to end homelessness in DC,” Dr. Leventhal shared. “It’s encouraging to know that we are all working to make sure everyone has access to the services and care that they need.”
The Community Foundation is proud to partner with Dr. George Leventhal, Kaiser Permanente and other incredible community, corporate and philanthropic leaders on our Partnership to End Homelessness Leadership Council. For more information about how you or your organization can get involved, contact Jennifer Olney, Senior Program Officer for the Partnership to End Homelessness.