Cardea Health

Since the Roomkey hotels opened in 2020, Cardea Health has overseen the medical care for thousands of formerly homeless residents at the Roomkey hotels and Homekey sites. In 2022, Cardea Health supported 65 homeless, medically-frail individuals improve their health, quality of life, and housing stability at its pilot permanent supportive housing program. The cost savings associated with this program alone are estimated at over $8.5 million in 2022, due largely to reductions in emergency department and psychiatric emergency department visits, inpatient admissions, and other medical services. Cardea Health advances social justice through hiring, by recruiting and hiring employees who have experienced homelessness and/or are re-entering the workforce after incarceration. Initially hired as unlicensed caregivers, employees earn a Certified Nurse Assistant certification as part of their paid full-time employment. Upon certification, they are employed as CNAs and paid approximately 35% more than when unlicensed. The first trainee cohort of 6 employees receiving CNA certification in the spring of 2022.Alameda County Roomkey Hotels: Medical directorship, development and oversight of clinical services. Provided nursing care to 550 people experiencing homelessness.Alameda County Isolation and Quarantine Sites: Medical directorship, oversight of clinical staff and programming. Provided health and housing services to 2500 people experiencing homelessness who required isolation fro COVID exposure, symptoms, or infection.Fairmont Tiny Homes Respite: Low-barrier medical respite services for people experiencing homelessness with high medical needs. Provided health and housing services for 70 clients experiencing homelessness and an acute medical need, such as post-operative care. In addition, supported 4 clients on hospice through the end of their life.Homekey sites: Medical directorship, clinical staffing and program design. Provided intensive nursing and caregiver services to 65 people experiencing homelessness who require nursing level of care or higher.Lake Merritt Lodge Roomkey site: COVID prevention, oversight of clinical services, and intensive case management. Provided nursing and personal care services to 145 people experiencing homelessness.Home Health Agency: Skilled home health, PT, OT, HHA. Provide nursing, PT, and OT services to 40 clients who would no otherwise have been able to access the services.Additional Activities in 2022In order to advance knowledge in the field, Cardea Health engages in research partnerships, including an NIH-funded study of health and housing outcomes in Alameda Countys Roomkey and Homekey sites, and an evaluation of the OakDays care model that is led by the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund and funded by Brandeis University.