Homeless Patients Now Have a Place to Heal

New Recuperative Care Beds Open to Provide Care For the Homeless After Hospital Discharge The Recuperative Care Coalition announces a press conference and ribbon cutting ceremony Friday, March 7 - 10

Homeless persons needing further recovery from physical injuries or illnesses after hospitalization need recuperative care beds where they can recover with medical oversight. With a homeless population estimated at 73,000, LA County currently has only 45 recuperative care beds. In 2006, hospitals in LA County discharged an estimated 7,500 homeless inpatients, of which 12% or 900 needed recuperative care.

If successful, this demonstration project will serve as a model of quality medical care that will provide a replicable system for homeless recuperative care.

WHAT: Press conference and ribbon cutting ceremony for the grand opening of the Los Angeles Recuperative Care Demonstration Project

WHO: L.A. Care Health Plan, Kaiser Permanente, QueensCare, Los Angeles County, private sector hospitals and the Recuperative Care Coalition.

WHEN: March 7th, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00a.m.

WHERE: Salvation Army Bell Shelter
5600 Rickenbacker Road
Bell, CA 90201

PHOTO & VIDEO OPPORTUNITY:
-- Opportunity to tour shelter

-- Interviews with homeless advocates and community leaders, including doctors

-- Invited speakers:
* Gloria Molina, County Supervisor
* George F. Bass, Mayor, City of Bell

CONTACT: Kelly Bruno of National Health Foundation, +1-213-538-0708, or +1-661-733-2858, kbruno@nhfca.org

/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- March 6/

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: National Health Foundation

Web Site: http://www.nhfca.org/

2008-03-06 17:28:58 0306860 PRNEWSWIRE