News
February 18, 2016St. Catherine’s Center for Children partners with Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Center to bring health services to the homeless
St. Catherine’s Center for Children is partnering with Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Center to bring critical health services to homeless families. The two agencies have signed an agreement that will bring Whitney Young’s Mobile Health Unit to St. Catherine’s homeless family shelter, Marillac.
Marillac, located in Albany, offers temporary shelter for up to 24 families at a time. Whitney Young’s Mobile Health Unit will visit Marillac the third Tuesday of every month to offer health services. The first visit will occur on February 23.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Whitney Young Health on this initiative,” said William T. Gettman, Jr., executive director of St. Catherine’s. “Marillac shelter runs at full capacity and, at any given time, the homeless population at Marillac can approach 100 children and adults. Next to shelter, reliable health care is one of the most critical services we can offer families. Whitney Young’s Mobile Health Unit is a tremendous community asset, and this collaboration guarantees that our families will not suffer from a gap in health coverage while they are with us.”
According to the agreement between St. Catherine’s and Whitney Young, the visiting Mobile Health Unit will improve accessibility and availability of high quality and comprehensive primary and preventative medical care services. The unit will function as a medical home for Marillac residents, providing continuous, coordinated, and cost-effective health care.
“We’re glad to have this opportunity to make high quality health care accessible to Marillac residents,” says Whitney Young Health president and CEO David Shippee. “We can work with our patients not only to meet their needs for today, but to plan for tomorrow – including preventative care, cancer screenings, and treatment plans for chronic diseases like asthma and diabetes.”
Last year, Marillac provided shelter for 137 families with more than 600 children. The agreement between St. Catherine’s Center for Children and Whitney Young Health Center will remain in effect for two years, with an annual collaborative review to ensure the needs of clients are effectively met.
