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UCSF University of California San Fransisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative

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News
Homelessness Tied to Worse Cancer Outcomes Among Veterans
MedPage Today
December 21, 2023
In a cohort of over 100,000 patients who received care from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health system, those experiencing homelessness were more likely to be diagnosed with stage IV colore...
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News
Homelessness Tied to Worse Cancer Outcomes Among Veterans
MedPage Today
December 21, 2023
In a cohort of over 100,000 patients who received care from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health system, those experiencing homelessness were more likely to be diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer compared with those who had housing. The patients who experienced homelessness also had longer hospital stays for all the cancer types studied. However, the findings differed across healthcare settings. In a commentary accompanying the study, Maria C. Raven, MD, MPH, associate Professor and Chief of Emergency Medicine at UCSF, said "Reducing healthcare disparities for people experiencing homelessness is essential, and the [VA] can serve as an example of what it takes to do so."
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Our Research
Our Research
Access, Outcomes, and Costs Associated with Surgery for Malignancy Among People Experiencing Homelessness
Annals of Surgical Oncology
December 10, 2023
Cancer is the leading cause of mortality for people experiencing homelessness (PEH). However, not much is known about cancer-related surgical outcomes among PEH. This retrospective cohort study aimed ...
Our Research
Our Research
Access, Outcomes, and Costs Associated with Surgery for Malignancy Among People Experiencing Homelessness
Annals of Surgical Oncology
December 10, 2023
Cancer is the leading cause of mortality for people experiencing homelessness (PEH). However, not much is known about cancer-related surgical outcomes among PEH. This retrospective cohort study aimed to characterize access to care among PEH, evaluate postoperative outcomes, and assess costs associated with surgery for malignancy among PEH. Researchers found that PEH were less likely to undergo surgery for malignancy at cancer centers than hose who are housed. People experiencing homelessness also had a higher risk of requiring unplanned surgery.
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Our Research
Our Research
Association of Housing Status With Types of Operations and Postoperative Health Care Utilization
Annals of Surgery
December 1, 2023
Unhoused patients have worse outcomes and higher health care utilization compared to their housed counterparts. Previous research has primarily focused on physical and behavioral health. This retrospe...
Our Research
Our Research
Association of Housing Status With Types of Operations and Postoperative Health Care Utilization
Annals of Surgery
December 1, 2023
Unhoused patients have worse outcomes and higher health care utilization compared to their housed counterparts. Previous research has primarily focused on physical and behavioral health. This retrospective cohort study investigated the association between housing status and the nature of surgical care provided, health care utilization, and operational outcomes. Researchers found that unhoused patients commonly underwent emergent operations and had more complex hospitalizations.
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Our Research
Our Research
Injury Patterns and Hospital Admission After Trauma Among People Experiencing Homelessness
JAMA Network Open
June 23, 2023
 Traumatic injury is a major cause of morbidity for people experiencing homelessness (PEH), however, injury patterns and subsequent hospitalization among PEH have not been studied on a national scale....
Our Research
Our Research
Injury Patterns and Hospital Admission After Trauma Among People Experiencing Homelessness
JAMA Network Open
June 23, 2023
 Traumatic injury is a major cause of morbidity for people experiencing homelessness (PEH), however, injury patterns and subsequent hospitalization among PEH have not been studied on a national scale. In this national retrospective observational cohort study, researchers evaluated whether differences in mechanisms of injury exist between PEH and housed trauma patients in North America and whether the lack of housing is associated with increased adjusted odds of hospital admission. Researchers found that injured PEH had a significantly adjusted greater odds of hospital admissions.
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Our Research
Our Research
Hospital Variability in Adoption of Alcohol and Drug Screening in Adult Trauma Patients
The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
May 1, 2023
In this retrospective observational cross-sectional study of patients in the Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP), researchers looked to determine if there was significant practice variability in...
Our Research
Our Research
Hospital Variability in Adoption of Alcohol and Drug Screening in Adult Trauma Patients
The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
May 1, 2023
In this retrospective observational cross-sectional study of patients in the Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP), researchers looked to determine if there was significant practice variability in adoption of alcohol and drug screening of injured patients among hospitals participating in TQIP. Researchers found that overall rates of recommended alcohol and drug screening of injured patients were low and varied significantly between hospitals.
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Our Research
Our Research
Cluster Analysis of the Highest Users of Medical, Behavioral Health, and Social Services in San Francisco
Journal of General Internal Medicine
April 1, 2023
This study from BHHI researchers describes five distinct subgroups of the highest users of the health care system in San Francisco with differential comorbidities, health care needs, and social determ...
Our Research
Our Research
Cluster Analysis of the Highest Users of Medical, Behavioral Health, and Social Services in San Francisco
Journal of General Internal Medicine
April 1, 2023
This study from BHHI researchers describes five distinct subgroups of the highest users of the health care system in San Francisco with differential comorbidities, health care needs, and social determinants of health, spanning from patients with medical comorbidities solely using medical services to patients grappling with housing insecurity, incarceration, substance use disorder, and mental health comorbidities. Frequent users of the health care system are not a homogenous population as previously thought. This study sheds new light on how to help the most vulnerable patients and inform clinicians and care coordination teams on making sure patients get the care they need the most. 
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Policy Brief
Policy Brief
766 San Francisco Residents May Be Eligible for Referral to CARE Court
February 27, 2023
California passed the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act in 2022 to provide behavioral health and housing services to individuals with psychotic spectrum and schizophrenia diso...
Policy Brief
Policy Brief
766 San Francisco Residents May Be Eligible for Referral to CARE Court
February 27, 2023
California passed the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act in 2022 to provide behavioral health and housing services to individuals with psychotic spectrum and schizophrenia disorders who are deemed unable to care for themselves. This policy brief from the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at UCSF and the California Policy Lab uses anonymized data to estimate how many San Franciscans in a database of individuals who have contact with the urgent and emergent care system may be eligible for referral to CARE Court and describe their service needs.
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Our Research
Our Research
Analysis of Emergency Department Encounters Among High Users of Health Care and Social Service Systems Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
JAMA Network Open
October 28, 2022
High users of the health care system use a disproportionate amount of health services yet have poorer health outcomes. This study aimed to examine natural trends in emergency department visits among h...
Our Research
Our Research
Analysis of Emergency Department Encounters Among High Users of Health Care and Social Service Systems Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
JAMA Network Open
October 28, 2022
High users of the health care system use a disproportionate amount of health services yet have poorer health outcomes. This study aimed to examine natural trends in emergency department visits among high users of health and social services and assess whether the trends differed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this retrospective cohort study, researchers found that there was a decrease in emergency department visits. Further research is needed to elucidate COVID-19 pandemic specific factors associated with a decrease in emergency department visits.
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News
News
Video: How Hospital Discharge Data Can Inform State Homelessness Policy
Public Policy Institute of California
October 7, 2022
California’s homeless population has increased in recent years, and so has public investment in addressing homelessness, making understanding the size and needs of the state’s homeless population more...
News
News
Video: How Hospital Discharge Data Can Inform State Homelessness Policy
Public Policy Institute of California
October 7, 2022
California’s homeless population has increased in recent years, and so has public investment in addressing homelessness, making understanding the size and needs of the state’s homeless population more important than ever. Discharge data from emergency departments (EDs) can help. PPIC researcher Shannon McConville and UCSF professor Hemal Kanzaria, MD outlined key findings from a new report and discussed the implications for policymakers.
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Reports
Reports
Signals of Distress: High Utilization of Criminal Legal and Urgent and Emergent Health Services in San Francisco
September 27, 2022
People with multiple, complex health and housing needs frequently receive fragmented care because the providing systems operate independently. The California Policy Lab at UC Berkeley and the UCSF Ben...
Reports
Reports
Signals of Distress: High Utilization of Criminal Legal and Urgent and Emergent Health Services in San Francisco
September 27, 2022
People with multiple, complex health and housing needs frequently receive fragmented care because the providing systems operate independently. The California Policy Lab at UC Berkeley and the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative worked with partners in San Francisco’s public health and criminal legal systems to link together ten years of data from the physical health, behavioral health, housing, and criminal legal sectors.
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News
How Hospital Discharge Data Can Inform State Homelessness Policy
Public Policy Institute of California
September 19, 2022
Hospital emergency departments (ED) are on the frontlines of serving people experiencing homelessness, and this report investigated what ED data can reveal about homelessness in California. Hospitals ...
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News
How Hospital Discharge Data Can Inform State Homelessness Policy
Public Policy Institute of California
September 19, 2022
Hospital emergency departments (ED) are on the frontlines of serving people experiencing homelessness, and this report investigated what ED data can reveal about homelessness in California. Hospitals operated by counties and the University of California reported higher shares of ED visits by people experiencing homelessness. Linking discharge data with homeless services programs can offer insights into how people engage with programs and help provide better resources to evaluate the programs and investments aimed at improving the lives of Californians experiencing homelessness.
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Our Research
Association of Shelter-in-Place Hotels With Health Services Use Among People Experiencing Homelessness During the COVID-19 Pandemic
JAMA Network Open
July 27, 2022
Research from BHHI in collaboration with the San Francisco Department of Public Health and UC Berkeley School of Public Health showed how shelter-in-place emergency housing during th...
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Our Research
Our Research
Understanding the Association Between Frequent Emergency Department Use and Jail Incarceration: A Cross-Sectional Analysis
Academic Emergency Medicine
May 1, 2022
The number of individuals incarcerated in the United States has increased since the 1970s. Frequent emergency department (ED) use and incarceration can both be driven by underlying structural factors ...
Our Research
Our Research
Understanding the Association Between Frequent Emergency Department Use and Jail Incarceration: A Cross-Sectional Analysis
Academic Emergency Medicine
May 1, 2022
The number of individuals incarcerated in the United States has increased since the 1970s. Frequent emergency department (ED) use and incarceration can both be driven by underlying structural factors and social needs. Researchers conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis to assess whether an increased frequency of ED use was associated with incarceration. They found that ED use is independently associated with incarceration.
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Our Research
Our Research
Mortality Among People Experiencing Homelessness in San Francisco During the COVID-19 Pandemic
JAMA Network Open
March 10, 2022
This study from UCSF BHHI researchers examined deaths among people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. They found 82% of 331 deaths were associat...
Our Research
Our Research
Mortality Among People Experiencing Homelessness in San Francisco During the COVID-19 Pandemic
JAMA Network Open
March 10, 2022
This study from UCSF BHHI researchers examined deaths among people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. They found 82% of 331 deaths were associated with drug overdose, not COVID-19 infection. Traumatic injury, including homicide and suicide, was the second most common cause of death. This research highlights a need for strategies that address both homelessness and drug use, including housing, evidence-based treatment of opioid addiction, and overdose prevention programs.
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Our Research
Our Research
Mortality Among People Experiencing Homelessness in San Francisco 2016–2018
Journal of General Internal Medicine
March 1, 2022
This UCSF study examined deaths among people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco from 2016 to 2018. Although heart disease and cancer are the first and second causes of death for California’s g...
Our Research
Our Research
Mortality Among People Experiencing Homelessness in San Francisco 2016–2018
Journal of General Internal Medicine
March 1, 2022
This UCSF study examined deaths among people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco from 2016 to 2018. Although heart disease and cancer are the first and second causes of death for California’s general population, the leading causes of homeless deaths were acute intoxication (unintended overdose) and trauma (including homicide and suicide rates over triple that of the US general population). The authors advocate that these differences in cause-specific mortality should inform death prevention efforts within the homeless population differently than the general population.
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Our Research
Our Research
Understanding the 100 Highest Users of Health and Social Services in San Francisco
Academic Emergency Medicine
September 1, 2021
The San Francisco Department of Public Health implemented the Coordinated Care Management System (CCMS) in 2007. The CCMS is used to develop High Users of Multiple Systems (HUMS) tp identify individua...
Our Research
Our Research
Understanding the 100 Highest Users of Health and Social Services in San Francisco
Academic Emergency Medicine
September 1, 2021
The San Francisco Department of Public Health implemented the Coordinated Care Management System (CCMS) in 2007. The CCMS is used to develop High Users of Multiple Systems (HUMS) tp identify individuals with the highest use of emergency medical services. Researchers described the HUMS scoring system and the characteristics and service use of the highest scoring 100 individuals. Researchers found that nearly all of the individuals had a history of homelessness in SF, and over half were unsheltered at their last point of contact.
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Our Research
Our Research
Hotel-Based COVID-19 Isolation and Quarantine Strategy for Persons Experiencing Homelessness
JAMA Network Open
March 1, 2021
A new study from UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative and the San Francisco Department of Public Health describes how San Francisco rapidly scaled a hotel-based isolation and quarantine (I...
Our Research
Our Research
Hotel-Based COVID-19 Isolation and Quarantine Strategy for Persons Experiencing Homelessness
JAMA Network Open
March 1, 2021
A new study from UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative and the San Francisco Department of Public Health describes how San Francisco rapidly scaled a hotel-based isolation and quarantine (I/Q) system of care for people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers found the program safely delivered integrated medical and behavioral health support to more than 1000 individuals outside the hospital setting, while helping to preserve hospital capacity.
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