The project serves as the primary health care provider for the homeless community. While the homeless are welcome as patients at all Jackson-Hinds sites, the E James Ivory Homeless Clinic continues to be the major provider of health care for the homeless.

The clinic operates under the direction of a mid-level provider (0.95 FTE) and is also staffed with a part-time MD, an LPN, a medical assistant, a clinical social worker, and a master’s level rehabilitation counselor. In addition to the above, the Dr. James Anderson Health Facility serves as the site for after-hours care, optometry, dental services, gynecology, pediatrics, pharmacy, x-ray, and laboratory.

Through this care system patients are provided comprehensive primary health care, limited urgent and crises care, medication, health education, family planning including contraceptive issuance with counseling, medication counseling, physical exams, well-child check-ups, immunizations, and flu and pneumococcal vaccines. Patients are able to participate in special initiatives to address Asthma, Blood Pressure Monitoring, Mammograms, PAP Smears, Child Development Services, Chronic Bronchitis/Emphysema, Cancer Screening, Diabetes Testing/Care, social and case management services,
behavioral health intervention (mental health and substance use counseling), health education, Among the array of screening services through JHCHC are TB screening/education, Hepatitis C screening, and HIV/AID rapid testing.

Through partnerships with other health care providers, patients have access to numerous health resources through the referral process. The most common referrals are to speciality care, pain management services, and smoking cessation.

JHCHC employs a multidisciplinary team approach to health care which includes social workers and counselors. The group is primarily tasked with assessment of psychosocial needs of patients, treatment planning to meet needs, case management, mental health and substance intervention, individualized health education to address behavioral and environmental barriers to health care adherence, screening for mood disorders, and cognitive deficiencies, and eligibility assistance. The above services may be provided directly by staff or linkage to other resources.

Linkages

Linkages are maintained with the three county area homeless resources as follows:
• Homeless shelters for men, women, and children,
• Treatment and transitional facilities including one of which is federal,
• Three restitutions two of which are Mississippi Department of Corrections and the other is private, and
• A network of personal care homes.

Health care linkages include the following:
• Central Mississippi Medical Center,
• University Mississippi Medical Center,
• The three county health departments,
• A local podiatrist that provides foot care,
• Lens Crafters that provides glasses through the Gift of Sight program,
• Mississippi State Hospital, and
• Regions 8, 9, and 15 Mental Health Centers.

Working relationships with social service agencies, educational institutions, local school systems, emergency assistance providers (food pantries, clothes closets, thrift stores) further broaden JHCHC’s ability to provide quality health care to the population.

Statistics

Estimated homeless population: 5,000

Patients served: 1,720