Home City Development, Inc. has partnered with Baystate Health’s Wellness on Wheels (WoW) project, to bridge the gap in care for residents in transitional housing. Dr. Paul Pirraglia, Chief, General Medicine and Community Health, Baystate Health, and his Baystate-based team has partnered with HCDI, and in December they completed a second successful visit to Chestnut Crossing since the fall.
“I’m pleased with the service, great things are happening here,” Julia Duran, a 5-year resident at Chestnut Crossing, said. “They should come once in a while and check up on the tenants here.”
Mary, a Chestnut Crossing resident of one year, was very happy with their service. She is concerned about her vision, and her eye doctor’s appointment is still a few months out, “I need to see now,” she said, and was grateful to meet with the WoW folks that day.
“The idea is to bridge back over to good, continuous care,” Pirraglia said. The WoW bus is a state of the art, fully equipped exam space, with two fully outfitted exam rooms, and a reception area for taking vitals. The medical team includes two resident physicians in addition to Pirraglia, and a medical assistant who does the screenings and gets folks settled in.
Communication and making sure that all providers are on the same page is key to this service. “We want to augment and fill in the gaps, not encroach on care that is already in place,” Pirraglia cautioned. For example, a Chestnut Crossing resident with a chronic medical condition was dealing with severe hip pain. He was given a prescription that he could use immediately for the pain, and the team then reached out to the resident’s main provider. They are constantly working on enhancing communication and connection to other providers in the area.
The WoW team is looking to continue to grow the partnership — to expand their services to vaccines and blood draws, and to come back monthly. They are also talking to financial counselors to eventually help residents who are uninsured.
In the meantime, our resident engagement team ensures that residents have their documentation in, and are willing and able to come at the right time.
“They make you feel very comfortable, they treat you like a human being. And they listen to your concerns. Some doctors don’t, they just want to get you in and get you out,” Mary said.
WELCOME RICHARD KINGSTON TO THE HCDI STAFF
Richard Kingston, HCDI’s new Deputy Executive Director, comes to HCDI with 30 years of housing experience in both affordable and market rate housing. He has worked in 20 states across the country building and operating housing communities in many struggling areas. He chose the affordable housing industry because he believes housing is a right and creating great communities for underserved populations is fundamental to equity, health, and stability. He believes that having ownership and accountability in our communities change lives, and he is excited to focus on the Western Mass community and bring his expertise to Home City Development. His best experiences have been mentoring and impacting people’s lives. He has spoken at numerous trade shows over the years teaching thousands of people about the intersection of health and housing.
“We talk about equity and justice and people rising up. None of that can happen without a decent place to call home. And it all starts there.”