Author: sjspwellesley

Each year, through our Collaborative Lenten Gift, we reach out as a community to one particular place of suffering, amid so many in the world. This year, we will reach out through our support of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP), which provides the highest quality health care services possible to some of the most vulnerable members of our community – Boston’s homeless individuals and families of all ages.

We thank you for your participation and we are grateful for any donation you can offer. Checks should be made payable to your parish, with “2022 Lenten Gift” noted in the memo. If you prefer, you may donate online at any time during the Lenten season, or by sending a check to your parish office.

The mission of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program is to ensure unconditionally equitable and dignified access to the highest quality health care for all individuals and families experiencing homelessness in our community. Many homeless patients struggle with at least one substance abuse problem, at least one chronic physical condition and a psychiatric illness. Each condition is often preventable and manageable…on its own. But, in combination and left untreated, such health problems become compounded — and all too often, fatal. 

Medicine has long grappled with addressing these interconnected aspects of a patient’s healthcare in a coordinated way. The integrated care model at BHCHP unites physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, case managers and behavioral health professionals in close collaboration. They follow patients in a variety of settings – on the streets, at the Barbara McInnis House, in shelter-based clinics, in the hospitals and in housing – providing regular contact and uninterrupted care…