HomeMy WebLinkAboutLOS T.Abrams
Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver
College of Medicine
University of Iowa
Department of Internal Medicine
Division of General Internal Medicine
SE620 GH
200 Hawkins Drive
Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1009
319-356-4241 Tel
319-356-3086 Fax
June 13, 2022
To Whom it May Concern
I have been working closely with the staff and executive leadership for the Iowa City
Shelterhouse for the past 5 years. I am aware of the challenges that individuals experiencing
homelessness face in this community. During this time, I have been performing psychiatric and
primary care services for clients being served by this program. Furthermore, in my position as
Director of Psychiatric Services for Iowa City Shelterhouse, I can personally attest the following:
1. Shelter House (SH) has the necessary personnel and training to identify and support
persons experiencing chronic homelessness with complex medical and psychiatric conditions.
SH programming uses trained individuals to identify and engage those most a risk through
outreach efforts, coordination of care, engagement of providers in local hospital systems, and
transportation of persons both clinic and acute care needs.
2. Shelter House is engaged in other efforts within t he community to strengthen the breadth
and depth of access to providers for acute mental health needs and to mitigate the impact of
chronic substance use on homelessness through partnerships with community providers
managing substance abuse conditions.
In January of 2019 Shelter House opened Cross Park Place—24 units of permanent supportive
housing for chronically homeless adults. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics was and
continues to be a key stakeholder and partner in the project. There is substantive evidence
demonstrating that programs adhering to Housing First models can be quite successful. Cross
Park Place tenants are maintaining their housing—men and women who had been homeless for
years, if not decades, now have the stability and safety of a home. Nearly 36 months in, we are
witnessing precipitous declines in utilization of our ED and inpatient care units. The inclusion of
embedded primary and behavioral health care clinicians provides the opportunity to establish
trust and rapport leading to increased engagement and improved health outcomes. The
intended expansion of permanent supportive housing with the addition of 36 new units targeted
for chronically homeless adults will provide this life saving intervention to those still in nee d.
I look forward to working with SH to grow this important work and am committed to continuing
the partnership to ensure integrated medical and psychiatric care for this vulnerable population,
which invariably will improve care outcomes and reduce associa ted acute care costs (e.g.,
hospitalizations and emergency room utilization).
2
Respectfully,
Thad E. Abrams MD, MS
Director of Psychiatric Services, Iowa City Shelterhouse
Clinical Associate Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine and Psychiatry
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
Iowa City, Iowa