ORANGE, Calif. (April 4, 2023) — CalOptima Health, in partnership with the City of Garden Grove and Healthcare in Action, launched Orange County’s first Street Medicine Program on April 1 to deliver comprehensive health care to individuals experiencing homelessness.
This partnership with Healthcare in Action, a first-of-its-kind medical group that provides health care and other services to unhoused individuals through a street medicine model, demonstrates CalOptima Health’s ongoing commitment to providing access, improving health outcomes and building relationships that result in secure housing for unhoused Orange County residents.
As Orange County’s Medi-Cal plan serving low-income populations, CalOptima Health pursued the program based on the recognition that housing is health. Through a contract, Healthcare in Action will deliver primary care to up to 200 CalOptima Health members using a medical van to canvas the Garden Grove community and reach members living in parks, under freeways and other unsheltered spaces. Services will include primary care, behavioral health and case management but also the expanded whole-person care resources now available through CalAIM, a state initiative offering a new set of Medi-Cal benefits that includes housing services.
“As Supervisor for the Second District and a CalOptima Health Board member, I am happy to see the launch of the first-of-its-kind Street Medicine Program in our county, offering personalized medical care to vulnerable and hard-to-reach community members,” said Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento. “This program stands out for its emphasis on a comprehensive patient-centered approach, which involves meeting individuals at their specific location, addressing all aspects of their well-being and enhancing their quality of life.”
“The CalOptima Health Street Medicine Program is different than other programs,” said Kelly Bruno-Nelson, Executive Director, Medi-Cal/CalAIM. “Members are assigned to Healthcare in Action’s providers and can rely on them just like other patients do with their doctors in ‘brick-and-mortar’ locations. We want to foster long-term connections and trust that lead to ongoing medical care and expanded social support. This is not just urgent care on the streets — it’s so much more.”
In November 2022, CalOptima Health’s Board of Directors approved the selection of Healthcare in Action based on its experience, capacity and ability to launch the street medicine program in the desired timeframe. Funding of $4 million will support operations for two years, and the unique managed care model will then be sustained after the initial two years through State Medi-Cal reimbursement. The program is the latest in a longstanding effort by CalOptima Health’s Board to provide funding and innovations that address local homeless health needs. In March 2023, the Board awarded $29.9 million in community grants to organizations serving the population, with $21 million going toward 400 permanent supportive housing units. CalOptima Health’s overarching goal is to reduce health disparities across the county.
“Healthcare in Action is proud to partner with CalOptima Health and support their commitment to unhoused members,” said Michael Hochman, M.D., CEO of Healthcare in Action. “Since our inception in 2022, we have seen the success of approaching the homelessness crisis through the lens of health care. Through our unique street-based model, we are able to provide sustainable, primary care addressing the complex medical and social needs of this population, and we look forward to bringing that to individuals in the City of Garden Grove.”
The Garden Grove program will deploy two teams that do complementary work. A medical team with a physician assistant and registered nurse will provide primary care and clinical management, and a peer navigator team with two staff who have lived experience will offer supportive services and community resources.
“Garden Grove is proud to be the first Orange County city to provide this very unique medical outreach program to our homeless community, in partnership with CalOptima Health and Healthcare in Action,” said Garden Grove Mayor Steve Jones. “Our Street Medicine Program complements a number of other programs Garden Grove has proactively implemented, and will continue doing, to achieve beneficial solutions to homelessness.”