The DEI Shift

Houselessness: A Prism for Understanding Healthcare Disparities, Part 1

December 16, 2022 The DEI Shift Season 4 Episode 6
The DEI Shift
Houselessness: A Prism for Understanding Healthcare Disparities, Part 1
Show Notes

From the HIV epidemic to the rise of multi-drug resistant TB and the opioid crisis, those caring for people experiencing houselessness and housing insecurity saw the rise of each of these epidemics in their patient populations long before the rest of us.  The devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was particularly harsh for those in shelters or unhoused. Some say that caring for those experiencing houselessness reveals the fractures in our healthcare system earlier and more clearly than healthcare in other settings.  Join us for the first of 2 episodes with 2 experts on caring for this population, Dr. James O’Connell, MD, MACP (Boston Healthcare for the Homeless) and Rachel Solotaroff, MD, FACP (Central City Concern- Portland, Oregon). In our discussion of the obstacles faced by these patients and the opportunities to learn from them, Drs. O’Connell and Solotaroff describe the root causes of houselessness, the best terms to use when addressing people experiencing houselessness, and some of the challenges in delivering healthcare to these patients.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Define houselessness/homelessness and housing insecurity.
  2. Explore and define root causes of the crisis of houselessness in the U.S.
  3. Understand the challenges to access and provision of healthcare to houseless folks.

Episode Credits:
Guests: Dr. James O’Connell, Dr. Rachel Solotaroff
Co-Hosts: Dr. Marianne Parshley, Dr. Elisa Choi
Executive Producer: Dr. Tammy Lin
Co-Executive Producers: Dr. Pooja Jaeel, Dr. Tiffany Leung
Senior Producers: Dr. Maggie Kozman, Dr. DJ Gaines
Editor/Assistant Producer: Clara Baek
Production Assistants: Nilgoun Farhadi, Leyna Nguyen
Website/Art Design: Ann Truong
Music: Chris Dingman https://www.chrisdingman.com

Twitter: @thedeishift
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Website: https://www.thedeishift.com
Email: thedeishift@gmail.com

Continuing Medical Education/Maintenance of Certification (CME/MOC) credits are available as an American College of Physicians national member benefit. To submit for CME/MOC credit for this episode, visit: https://www.acponline.org/cme-moc/cme/internal-medicine-podcasts/the-dei-shift