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How Telehealth is Boosting Care Access among NYC’s Homeless Population
Though telehealth has the potential to significantly expand healthcare access, social determinants of health (SDOH) challenges like housing insecurity can hinder this access, depriving already vulnerable populations of much-needed healthcare services. However, initiatives supported by healthcare provider organizations and state agencies can help overcome this barrier, enabling those facing housing insecurity to access healthcare through telehealth.In the fall of 2020, NYC Health + Hospitals and the New York City Department of Social Services launched an effort to provide homeless shelter residents access to the health system’s Virtual ExpressCare service. The initiative has grown steadily since then, with more than 5,000 shelter residents using the Virtual ExpressCare platform from January 2023 to April 2024.The Virtual ExpressCare service provides 24-hour access to healthcare for non-emergency physical, mental, and behavioral health conditions throughout the year.
Medigy Insights
The service was initially launched in 25 shelters and is now available to residents of the city's 600-plus shelters. Of the 5,000 individuals in shelters who used Virtual ExpressCare between January 2023 and April 2024, 70 percent were Black and Latino. Additionally, nearly half were uninsured, and 5 percent were covered through NYC Care, a program that guarantees low-cost and no-cost services to New Yorkers who do not qualify for or cannot afford health insurance.“From a sheer numbers perspective, we see a positive trend of individuals utilizing it,” Karim said. “Our satisfaction numbers indicate that they overwhelmingly like the support and the clinical care that they're receiving from us.”
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