National Health Foundation recently received a $250,000 grant from the Harold Edelstein Foundation to expand post-hospitalization health care services to homeless patients, specifically for the Recuperative Care Center in the San Gabriel Valley.

With the Edelstein Foundation’s grant, NHF’s cooperative partners will expand care into the communities of La Puente, West Covina, Glendora, Pomona and others, alleviating the problems hospitals face when there appears to be no safe option for discharging homeless patients.

The grant was proposed in a unique way: NHF’s chief operating officer Kelly Bruno pitched the project to hundreds of grantmakers in early November through Social Innovation Fast Pitch, a nonprofit training boot camp program run by Social Venture Partners. The pitch caught the attention of the Harold Edelstein Foundation after the event.

With a referral by hospital social workers, Recuperative Care Center arranges for transportation of the homeless patient, who arrives within hours of referral with medications and follow-up care instructions for an average stay of 10 days. Under NHF’s care, a nurse monitors the patient’s condition, a social worker develops a discharge plan and a director communicates with the hospital until medical issues are resolved. Millions in cost savings have been realized to more than 60 area hospitals since program inception in 2010.

Contact: Gail Peters
(213) 538-0746, gpeters@nhfca.org