I just wanted to thank all of our panelists and everyone who attended the session on Homeless Programs Saturday 4/16/2010 in White Hall 207!

I have the listing of our panelists with their biographical information at this site:

http://drgnu.org/imvc/eimvc.php

-Steve

TOPICS, PRESENTATIONS, & PRESENTER BIOS:

INTRODUCTION

Moderator - Steven C. Morreale, M.D./M.P.H. (a.k.a. "DrGNU")

Student Facilitator - Yaeji Park

"House calls to the Homeless: The development of a street medicine program."

- Jim Withers, M.D.

Jim Withers, M.D. BIO:

Dr. Jim Withers was raised in rural Pennsylvania where he made house calls with his father, a Family Practitioner. Dr. Withers received his undergraduate degree at Haverford College, and completed his medical school training at the University of Pittsburgh in 1984. His interest in service oriented medicine grew through medical trips to Central America and India. After finishing a medical and chief residency at The Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh, he joined the full time teaching faculty in the Department of Internal Medicine at Mercy Hospital. His areas of special interest have been Domestic Violence, International Medicine and Homeless Health Care. In 1992, he founded Operation Safety Net (OSN), the first full time, comprehensive medical service of its’ kind for the unsheltered homeless. Medical care is delivered directly on the streets, along the river banks and in the abandoned buildings of Pittsburgh, with full social service and housing follow-up. OSN has been recognized internationally and is being replicated or studied by cities throughout the world. In 2005, Dr. Withers established the annual International Street Medicine Symposia (with current partners in North America, South and Central America, Europe and Asia) to foster collaboration in the care of those sleeping on the streets. In 2008, Dr. Withers help to create the Street Medicine Institute to focus on helping communities establish Street Medicine programs, improve existing practice and create a student fellowship in Street Medicine. Dr. Withers enjoys numerous volunteer activities, Board memberships, and medical teaching appointments. He is most proud of the many students who have gone on to careers in service oriented medicine.

"Youth and adult volunteers: Helping the homeless in Atlanta with free medical services."

- Jolita Dorsett-Wainwright

Jolita Dorsett-Wainwright BIO:

Jolita is Senior Research Coordinator for the Clinical Research Center at Morehouse School of Medicine. She is the founder and board president of the non-profit organization S.R.T, Inc. Jolita has organized free health clinics for the homeless in Atlanta for 15 months at 6 sites twice a year. Many of these clinics are in Mechanicsville at Jars of Clay, a family shelter. S.R.T. Inc organization is based in Atlanta and coordinates medical screenings with volunteer doctors and nurses to homeless and uninsured patients. These medical screenings include PPD tests and glucose screenings, and can be found in several churches and shelters in the Metro-Atlanta area.

"Establishing programs to treat mental illness in the homeless population of Atlanta."

- Liz Frye, M.D.

Liz Frye, M.D. BIO:

Dr. Liz Frye is a psychiatrist here at Emory in the Department of Psychiatry's Community Psychiatry and Public Health Fellowship. She graduated medical school from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2006 and will finish her fellowship in June 2011, when she will also complete a Masters in Public Health. Liz currently works with homeless outreach service providers here in Atlanta to implement creative solutions for improving mental health among Atlanta's homeless population. She is currently in the process of initiating a free mental health clinic in one of Atlanta's homeless shelters. Liz also has interests in Global Mental Health and will travel this summer to Thailand to work with children who have been rescued from sex trafficking and Haiti to strengthen the Haitian community mental health system in response to the earthquake.

BREAK FOR 5 MINUTES

"Teaching meditation and mindfulness to homeless youth in Atlanta with peer co-leaders: the results of a pilot research project."

- Linda Grabbe, R.N.

Linda Grabbe, R.N. BIO:

Linda is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Emory University's School of Nursing. She is involved with Community Advanced Practice Nurses (www.capn.org), a free primary care clinic which has served homeless women, children, and youth in Atlanta for 22 years. She will present research on teaching meditation and mindfulness to homeless youth at Covenant House Georgia.

"Serving the Homeless with St. Joseph’s Mercy Care Services."

- Santibañez, Scott, MD

Santibañez, Scott, MD BIO:

Dr. Scott Santibañez is a medical officer with CDC. Scott is board-certified in internal medicine, infectious diseases and tropical medicine. He has worked with homeless populations in New York City, Pittsburgh, New Orleans and Atlanta.

Scott has been a volunteer with St. Joseph's Mercy Care Services for the past 9 years at several locations around Atlanta.

Scott began working at CDC 11 years ago as an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer. He has focused on diverse issues including racial and ethnic disparities in infant mortality, HIV Prevention in injection drug users in US and international settings, and pandemic influenza preparedness and response.

During the response to Hurricane Katrina, he served as Commanding Officer and Chief Medical Officer for US Public Health Service in Louisiana where he worked with many MRC volunteers. During the 2009 H1N1 Influenza Pandemic, he served as CDC's Lead for At-Risk Populations and technical Chief of Staff. He is currently also a part-time student studying ethics at Columbia Theological Seminary.

"Housing as a prescription for health care."

- Anita Law Beaty

Anita Law Beaty BIO:

Anita L. Beaty, Executive Director of the (Metro Atlanta) Task Force for the Homeless for the past twenty-five years, also served as President of the Board of Directors of the National Coalition for the Homeless from 1993 – 1997.

Ms. Beaty, with her husband, Dr. James W. Beaty, were also among the founders in 1986 of the statewide homeless network. Each of them served as Chairman of that statewide network of advocates, policy makers and service providers.

Ms. Beaty has served on the National Coalition’s Board for twenty-three years and represented the U.S in 1995 at the European Union’s Congress on Homelessness in Madrid, Spain. She represents the National Coalition and the U.S. presently on the Habitat International Coalition, which advocates for the international right to housing and other human and civil rights and whose General Secretariat sits in Santiago, Chile.

Ms. Beaty provided leadership for Atlanta's Olympic Conscience effort to protect the human and civil rights of poor and homeless Atlantans during the 1996 Games. She has represented that effort in Toronto, Sydney, Madrid, Cairo, Vancouver and Salt Lake City with the Habitat International Coalition. and presently as a consultant to the Council on Housing Rights and Evictions, both internationally recognized for their human rights work around the globe.

Ms. Beaty recently completed a consultancy with the Council on Housing Rights and Evictions, based at The Hague, on the impact of the 1996 Olympics on housing and human rights in Atlanta as they create homelessness, displacement and criminalization of poor, African American residents. The paper is being expanded to report the continuing gentrification and racism in housing opportunities and housing policy in Atlanta. She continues representing the issue in the Universal Periodic Review process established by the United Nations, with this year reviewing the United States for the first time.

Ms. Beaty continues leading the Task Force as the staff to an inclusive coalition of homeless people, other policy advocates, service providers and progressive organizational representatives.

The Task Force has led Atlanta and Georgia for 29 years in responding to the emergency of homelessness, in reporting its causes and conditions by means of responding to 500-1000 homeless men, women and children daily.

Currently the Task Force is developing a sustainable, inclusive community on Peachtree Street, in the heart of downtown Atlanta.

In its consistent policy and advocacy work to prevent and end homelessness while protecting the rights of people who are presently excluded from housing in our communities, The Task Force and NCH work for a Universal Living Wage, the Right to decent, safe affordable housing, health care and education, and the protection of civil and human rights for all.

The Task Force offers a multitude of services to homeless people, chiefly the 24-hour overflow facility at Peachtree-Pine, 24-hour Hotline for homeless people, Street Outreach, Transportation, Employment, Housing Placement, Health care, and various referrals for other services.

I would personally like to say thank you to all of the panalist, the forum was an eye opening experience for someone who has not worked often with the homeless population and was very motivating to listen to.  Thanks!

Thank you for coming Liz!

-Steve

I am hoping to organize a panel of homeless people to discuss prevention of homelessness, needs of the homeless, and answer questions for the Global Health and Humanitarian Summit of 2011.

Do the medical people go alone or use the buddy system?

DrGNU at April 21, 2010 at 11:18 PM

TOPICS, PRESENTATIONS, & PRESENTER BIOS:

 

INTRODUCTION

Moderator - Steven C. Morreale, M.D./M.P.H. (a.k.a. "DrGNU")

Student Facilitator - Yaeji Park

 

"House calls to the Homeless: The development of a street medicine program."

- Jim Withers, M.D.

 

Jim Withers, M.D. BIO:

Dr. Jim Withers was raised in rural Pennsylvania where he made house calls with his father, a Family Practitioner. Dr. Withers received his undergraduate degree at Haverford College, and completed his medical school training at the University of Pittsburgh in 1984. His interest in service oriented medicine grew through medical trips to Central America and India. After finishing a medical and chief residency at The Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh, he joined the full time teaching faculty in the Department of Internal Medicine at Mercy Hospital. His areas of special interest have been Domestic Violence, International Medicine and Homeless Health Care. In 1992, he founded Operation Safety Net (OSN), the first full time, comprehensive medical service of its’ kind for the unsheltered homeless. Medical care is delivered directly on the streets, along the river banks and in the abandoned buildings of Pittsburgh, with full social service and housing follow-up. OSN has been recognized internationally and is being replicated or studied by cities throughout the world. In 2005, Dr. Withers established the annual International Street Medicine Symposia (with current partners in North America, South and Central America, Europe and Asia) to foster collaboration in the care of those sleeping on the streets. In 2008, Dr. Withers help to create the Street Medicine Institute to focus on helping communities establish Street Medicine programs, improve existing practice and create a student fellowship in Street Medicine. Dr. Withers enjoys numerous volunteer activities, Board memberships, and medical teaching appointments. He is most proud of the many students who have gone on to careers in service oriented medicine.

 

 

"Youth and adult volunteers: Helping the homeless in Atlanta with free medical services."

- Jolita Dorsett-Wainwright

 

Jolita Dorsett-Wainwright BIO:

Jolita is Senior Research Coordinator for the Clinical Research Center at Morehouse School of Medicine. She is the founder and board president of the non-profit organization S.R.T, Inc. Jolita has organized free health clinics for the homeless in Atlanta for 15 months at 6 sites twice a year. Many of these clinics are in Mechanicsville at Jars of Clay, a family shelter. S.R.T. Inc organization is based in Atlanta and coordinates medical screenings with volunteer doctors and nurses to homeless and uninsured patients. These medical screenings include PPD tests and glucose screenings, and can be found in several churches and shelters in the Metro-Atlanta area.

 

 

"Establishing programs to treat mental illness in the homeless population of Atlanta."

- Liz Frye, M.D.

 

Liz Frye, M.D. BIO:

Dr. Liz Frye is a psychiatrist here at Emory in the Department of Psychiatry's Community Psychiatry and Public Health Fellowship. She graduated medical school from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2006 and will finish her fellowship in June 2011, when she will also complete a Masters in Public Health. Liz currently works with homeless outreach service providers here in Atlanta to implement creative solutions for improving mental health among Atlanta's homeless population. She is currently in the process of initiating a free mental health clinic in one of Atlanta's homeless shelters. Liz also has interests in Global Mental Health and will travel this summer to Thailand to work with children who have been rescued from sex trafficking and Haiti to strengthen the Haitian community mental health system in response to the earthquake.

 

 

BREAK FOR 5 MINUTES

 

 

"Teaching meditation and mindfulness to homeless youth in Atlanta with peer co-leaders: the results of a pilot research project."

- Linda Grabbe, R.N.

 

Linda Grabbe, R.N. BIO:

Linda is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Emory University's School of Nursing. She is involved with Community Advanced Practice Nurses (www.capn.org), a free primary care clinic which has served homeless women, children, and youth in Atlanta for 22 years. She will present research on teaching meditation and mindfulness to homeless youth at Covenant House Georgia.

 

 

"Serving the Homeless with St. Joseph’s Mercy Care Services."

- Santibañez, Scott, MD

 

Santibañez, Scott, MD BIO:

Dr. Scott Santibañez is a medical officer with CDC. Scott is board-certified in internal medicine, infectious diseases and tropical medicine. He has worked with homeless populations in New York City, Pittsburgh, New Orleans and Atlanta.

Scott has been a volunteer with St. Joseph's Mercy Care Services for the past 9 years at several locations around Atlanta.

Scott began working at CDC 11 years ago as an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer. He has focused on diverse issues including racial and ethnic disparities in infant mortality, HIV Prevention in injection drug users in US and international settings, and pandemic influenza preparedness and response.

During the response to Hurricane Katrina, he served as Commanding Officer and Chief Medical Officer for US Public Health Service in Louisiana where he worked with many MRC volunteers. During the 2009 H1N1 Influenza Pandemic, he served as CDC's Lead for At-Risk Populations and technical Chief of Staff. He is currently also a part-time student studying ethics at Columbia Theological Seminary.

 

 

"Housing as a prescription for health care."

- Anita Law Beaty

 

Anita Law Beaty BIO:

Anita L. Beaty, Executive Director of the (Metro Atlanta) Task Force for the Homeless for the past twenty-five years, also served as President of the Board of Directors of the National Coalition for the Homeless from 1993 – 1997.

Ms. Beaty, with her husband, Dr. James W. Beaty, were also among the founders in 1986 of the statewide homeless network. Each of them served as Chairman of that statewide network of advocates, policy makers and service providers.

Ms. Beaty has served on the National Coalition’s Board for twenty-three years and represented the U.S in 1995 at the European Union’s Congress on Homelessness in Madrid, Spain. She represents the National Coalition and the U.S. presently on the Habitat International Coalition, which advocates for the international right to housing and other human and civil rights and whose General Secretariat sits in Santiago, Chile.

Ms. Beaty provided leadership for Atlanta's Olympic Conscience effort to protect the human and civil rights of poor and homeless Atlantans during the 1996 Games. She has represented that effort in Toronto, Sydney, Madrid, Cairo, Vancouver and Salt Lake City with the Habitat International Coalition. and presently as a consultant to the Council on Housing Rights and Evictions, both internationally recognized for their human rights work around the globe.

Ms. Beaty recently completed a consultancy with the Council on Housing Rights and Evictions, based at The Hague, on the impact of the 1996 Olympics on housing and human rights in Atlanta as they create homelessness, displacement and criminalization of poor, African American residents. The paper is being expanded to report the continuing gentrification and racism in housing opportunities and housing policy in Atlanta. She continues representing the issue in the Universal Periodic Review process established by the United Nations, with this year reviewing the United States for the first time.

Ms. Beaty continues leading the Task Force as the staff to an inclusive coalition of homeless people, other policy advocates, service providers and progressive organizational representatives.

The Task Force has led Atlanta and Georgia for 29 years in responding to the emergency of homelessness, in reporting its causes and conditions by means of responding to 500-1000 homeless men, women and children daily.

Currently the Task Force is developing a sustainable, inclusive community on Peachtree Street, in the heart of downtown Atlanta.

In its consistent policy and advocacy work to prevent and end homelessness while protecting the rights of people who are presently excluded from housing in our communities, The Task Force and NCH work for a Universal Living Wage, the Right to decent, safe affordable housing, health care and education, and the protection of civil and human rights for all.

The Task Force offers a multitude of services to homeless people, chiefly the 24-hour overflow facility at Peachtree-Pine, 24-hour Hotline for homeless people, Street Outreach, Transportation, Employment, Housing Placement, Health care, and various referrals for other services.

 

The treatment of mental illness is very expensive especially for those at the bottom ranks of the economic heap. Besides treatment based on drugs and/or psychotherapy alone is not very successful. For some reason or other the professionals seem to be reluctant to look at the connection between nutrition and mood disorders.  Most people with mood disorders are found to be hypoglycemic, which is a sugar-handling problem. It means an abnormality in the conversion of carbohydrates into biological energy called ATP. This in turn means that the body lacks the necessary energy to convert nutrients into feel good neurotransmitters, such as tryptophan into serotonin. There are many other silent diseases - apart from hypoglycemia - that may be responsible for mood disorders.

Our volunteer web site aims to educate victims of mental illness how to help themselves overcome mood disorders by reference to educational articles by way of a change in diet as one important step in treatment.

Access to articles can be found at:

https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1sKYIT2wfJquvtHQNuCGRp78eeuOFE915cw9-cWhCVLw

Jurriaan Plesman