Continue reading »]]> Outreach Nurse Spotlight: Robin

As our February spotlight of the Outreach Program continues, we sat down with outreach nurse Robin to talk about how Care Alliance goes out into the community to help the homeless in Cleveland. Robin works in our outreach clinics at area shelters and treatment centers, and has also spearheaded health education within these sites for residents.

In this video, she talks about the important role of collaborating with other agencies and combining each other’s dedication to make a big impact on the people we mutually serve.

“We’re small but we’re kind of big in the way we help people,” Robin said.

Continue reading »]]> A Passion for Compassion

Volunteer Spotlight: Robbie Siska, Outreach Volunteer

Outreach volunteer Robbie Siska (center) with Melissa Brennan, LPN and Robin Djulvezan, LPN, Care Alliance Outreach Nurses

It takes a special type of person to succeed in outreach to the homeless. It takes compassion, patience, and no small measure of courage to reach out to people who have, for one reason or another, made their homes in tents, under bridges and in abandoned buildings. So when Robbie Siska applied to volunteer to work with the homeless at Care Alliance, we knew we had found an incredible addition to our outreach team.

Robbie is a recent graduate of John Carroll University who aspires to go to medical school in the near future to pursue his dream of becoming a physician. Robbie’s involvement in the Labre Project through JCU introduced him to Care Alliance, and the connections he has built through both programs have been synergistic for many of our patients.

“Through outreach experiences with the homeless at John Carroll I had heard quite a bit about Care Alliance from its patients. Through my passion for helping this community and with my goal of becoming a physician, I knew that Care Alliance would be a great place for me to further serve this community while learning more about medicine,” Robbie said.

Robbie has become an indispensable member of the outreach team since he began volunteering. He works with outreach worker Jim Schlecht to help homeless men and women secure birth certificates, social security cards and housing. He also provides much-needed registration and clerical support at twice-weekly medical clinics held at 2100 Lakeside, the Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry’s Men’s Shelter, working closely with Care Alliance outreach nurses and Medical Director, Dr. Dan Meges. He has also assisted in writing grant proposals and conducting research when he is not in outreach.

“I enjoy most learning from Dr. Meges about how to work through challenges that arise while providing care for patients who are homeless and living with chronic illnesses,” Robbie said. “He provides the primary care needed to improve their physical health, while also using his leadership and teamwork skills to involve other professionals in order to treat the patient holistically by offering them resources to enhance every aspect of their lives.”

When he is not committing his time to volunteering, Robbie works as a Lab Technician at Hawken Upper School’s science department. He also recently finished training and certification to be an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic. A native Clevelander and avid Cleveland sports fan, Robbie also plays guitar in a band (“The Alibi”) and runs road races.

“Robbie has a natural ability to establish rapport with our homeless patients easily and quickly,” said Dr. Dan Meges, medical director at Care Alliance. “He is an excellent team player and a fast learner, and has been extremely helpful at 2100. He has been an answer to a prayer for us.”

Robbie’s outreach volunteering placement is just one of many examples of passionate people making a difference in the lives of Cleveland’s homeless through Care Alliance. If you are interested in volunteering at Care Alliance, please click here for more information.

Continue reading »]]>

Amidst the Cleveland winter, remember those who live and die homeless on the longest night of the year.

We’ve all done it before – walked through downtown Cleveland and sidestepped someone asking for spare change or trying to get warm over a heating grate. Maybe we’ve handed them a few quarters, or pretended we didn’t see them. To most of us, the homeless in Cleveland are invisible.

On December 21 – the longest night of the year – we join with other homeless advocates across the country to observe National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day. Each year on this day,  homeless service advocates pause to remember the thousands of homeless men, women and children who die without realizing the dream of secure housing. Twenty-six years after our founding, we at Care Alliance are still working to meet the needs of Cleveland’s invisible.

In 1985, in response to the tremendous growth in homelessness across the country, Care Alliance began as Cleveland’s  Health Care for the Homeless .

“We began as a demonstration project intended to help solve the homelessness problem,” said Dr. Lisa Thomas, Care Alliance COO and founding program director of Care Alliance (then Cleveland’s Health Care for the Homeless). “We were supposed to put ourselves out of business, but the fact is – we’re still here, and we’re still very much needed to serve the homeless in Cleveland.”

Today’s causes of homelessness are complex. The extended recession compounds the systemic issues of drug abuse, lack of affordable housing and insufficient behavioral health care services that have led people to homelessness for decades. Because of this, Care Alliance continues to serve more and more new people each year who are experiencing homelessness or on the bring. So many of our patients are fragile – medically, spiritually and emotionally – and require a tremendous amount of compassion and time to be cared for.

On this National Homeless Person’s Memorial Day, we are reminded that we cannot solve the problem of homelessness in our city alone. But we will continue to build partnerships with the people and organizations that serve the homeless and strive for the day when no more Clevelanders live on the streets – or die on them.

Help us honor the memory of those who have died
by helping today’s homeless live healthier lives.

Little things can make a big difference in the lives of our patients – even a warm pair of socks. If you want to help, click here to see our wish list of gifts in kind and essential supplies.

Continue reading »]]> The Gift of Time – 2011 Volunteer Program Summary

Volunteers work with our medical records manager to help manage day-to-day clinic operations

Year after year, Care Alliance has risen to the challenge of serving more patients, and much of this accomplishment can be credited to our incredible volunteers.

In 2011, Care Alliance hosted about 100 volunteers, students and work experience placements, who spent more than 6,500 hours working with our staff – at a value of more than $136,000! Since the launch of our volunteer program, we’ve learned we couldn’t do nearly as much without the support of community partners like you. Here are just a few ways they helped support our mission:

•  Students in the medical field learn how to work in a clinical environment by building rapport with patients and staff, allowing us to see more patients every day and improving clinical flow.
• Interns and professional volunteers with our development team collect patient stories, advocate for federal support of our programs and help us communicate with our patients, supporters and funders.
• Dental students brighten our world by helping our patients get their smiles back – providing clinical care to patients who otherwise could never afford the comprehensive care they get with Care Alliance.
• Billing and coding students and work experience placements develop essential career skills while ensuring we are financially healthy so we can continue to serve the neediest patients in Cleveland.
• Medical professionals give their time, talents and compassion within our clinics and in outreach to offer not just flu shots and wound care – but also empathy, kindness and a listening ear to people who are accustomed to being ignored and discarded.

The people who volunteer at Care Alliance leave an unforgettable mark on our history, and for that we are grateful. In 2012, we ask our past, present and future volunteers for a simple resolution: Stay engaged with us. It doesn’t take much – sign up for our monthly email updates on our website. (And don’t forget – We’re on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube!)  And if you are interested in sharing your skills with Care Alliance in 2012, visit our volunteer page to learn more.

In this season of giving and gratitude, I wanted to share with all our supporters and patients just how important our volunteers have been.

Wishing you warmth and joy this holiday season,

Reanna Karousis

Volunteer Program Coordinator

Continue reading »]]>

Every year, all over the world, communities come together on December 1 to recognize World AIDS Day. This day honors those who live with HIV/AIDS and acts as an opportunity for us to unite in the fight against HIV. As a provider of HIV Services through the Ryan White Care Act to the Cleveland community, Care Alliance is proud to participate in World AIDS Day.

On December 1, Care Alliance staff, clients and supporters will join the AIDS Task Force of Greater Cleveland and several other organizations to  gather at City Hall at 5:30 p.m. to march to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum. Click here for the full schedule from the AIDS Task Force website.

At 6:30 p.m., the city lights will go dark to honor World AIDS Day. Can’t make the march? Please consider turning off the lights in your home for 3 minutes at 6:30 in solidarity and to honor those who have passed on.

Join us at our clinic on St. Clair Ave. to get free, confidential rapid HIV testing completed on World AIDS Day. Testing is available at all our clinics during business hours. Please call our Community Care Liaison at (216) 781-6724 x 261 for more information.

Continue reading »]]> This Thanksgiving, when we at Care Alliance are considering all the things we are grateful for, your support and generosity will top our list.

On Saturday, November 12th, Care Alliance hosted our 17th annual fundraising gala, Let’s Talk Turkey. This year, we were overwhelmed not only by the financial support of local organizations, corporations, small businesses and individuals, but also by the enthusiasm and good cheer of those who attended. We packed the house at Windows on the River, where nearly 40 turkeys were served to just under 400 guests!

Dinner was preceded by a Silent Auction featuring incredible tickets to sporting and cultural events, jewelry, gift baskets and great date nights, and we raffled off dessert and champagne served table-side as well as a brand new Amazon Kindle featuring selected books from our Homeless Book Club.

Special thanks to our celebrity emcee, Mark Zinni of FOX 8 News, who took the time to visit our clinic to see what we do and talk to our staff about the difference this event makes. The evening’s program culminated with the honoring of Sr. Judith Ann Karam, CSA, the President and CEO of Sisters of Charity Health System, as this year’s Community Health Champion. Care Alliance also debuted a new video, “Thanks and Giving,” to share the stories of some of our patients who have been helped by your support.

Because of the tremendous support of all those who sponsored, donated, attended, bid on auction items and volunteered at Let’s Talk Turkey, we were able to raise more than $105,000! These funds will support the delivery of essential medical, dental and supportive services to our nearly 10,000 homeless and low-income patients in the coming year.

The event committee could not be more grateful to you for your support, and we look forward to seeing everyone again next year.

Weren’t able to attend, but still want to give? Visit our Donation page to learn the many ways in which you can honor the spirit of giving this holiday season with Care Alliance.

Continue reading »]]>

This past year has been especially challenging for our patients. Every day, we see the effects of the recession represented by the struggles of real people. Real people like Tracey, who lost her job as a nurse and couldn’t afford the restorative dental work she needed to succeed in job interviews, or Charisse, who lost her health insurance and came to Care Alliance just days from the violent and inevitable grand mal seizures that awaited her when her epilepsy medication ran out, because she could not afford to fill her prescription. Time and time again, we see the true meaning of the word “safety net,” because for so many of our patients, Care Alliance is their last and only hope for health care.

Help us be there for tomorrow’s patients. Donate today.

Continue reading »]]>

A patient with diabetes has his feet examined at a recent appointment. Supplies, like warm shoes and socks, make a big difference for those who are on their feet and exposed to the elements all winter long. Please help.

Our supporters prove time and again that Cleveland winters can’t extinguish their warmth and generosity.

Every year, Care Alliance asks the community to support our outreach efforts through the donation of items that will improve the health and well-being of the homeless patients we serve. As the weather cools, we are once again asking our supporters to help host drives at your school, work, place of worship or among friends and family.

“For people who don’t trust us when we first meet them, a pair of gloves or a bar of soap is their first indication that we truly want to help them,” said Donna Kelly, outreach nurse, “And we can check them for frostbite, but if they don’t have warm socks to wear, we can’t be much help. I’m humbled by the big way that our supporters come through for us every winter, and I hope to see that support continue.”

For information about our wish lists, please click here, or download a PDF of the Care Alliance Winter Wish List.

Drives like this supplement the supplies provided by charitable organizations, including the Plain Dealer Holiday Spirit grant program and the Sisters of Charity Good Samaritan program.  Through their support, we are able to provide basic necessities to our homeless patients, but the need continues to grow every year beyond what the grants can provide.

Please note: While the individuals we serve are certainly in need of a wide range of items to help them get through the winter, Care Alliance is best equipped to distribute items specifically identified on our wish list that relate to health and wellness. Other safety-net partners of ours are better equipped to accept your donations of items such as canned goods or used clothing. If you would like guidance in determining what we can best use, please contact Reanna Karousis at (216) 781-6228 x 263.

Continue reading »]]> Care Alliance is partnering with Cleveland’s other two community health centers – Neighborhood Family Practice and North East Ohio Neighborhood (NEON) Health Services to encourage advocacy by our patients, staff, boards and community supporters as funding for Federally Qualified Health Centers is threatened.

Together, Cleveland’s three community health centers serve more than 64,000 patients in Cleveland – 45 percent of whom are uninsured.

Please help us communicate to our local, state and federal leaders that we need FQHC funding to continue. For more information, please visit www.saveourchcs.org.

Drop by any of the three community health centers in the next few weeks to sign letters to your legislators. Or, download a PDF of the letters, sign and return to Care Alliance by fax at (216) 298-5015 or by email. We will combine your letters with those we collect in our clinics and fax, mail and hand-deliver them to the appropriate legislators based on your home address.

Continue reading »]]> Together with Neighborhood Family Practice and NEON Health Services, Care Alliance Health Center hosted a kick-off event for 2011 National Health Center Week on August 9.

More than 150 attendees registered for the event, and the turnout from local, state and even national dignitaries reflects the recognized importance of health centers in our community and across the country.

The kick-off included a panel of local health care environment experts, a keynote address by the Cuyahoga County Board of Health Commissioner, Terry Allan, and appearances and remarks from legislators and government officials, including the Assistant Surgeon General, Dr. James Galloway. View photos from the event on our Facebook page.

Each health center recognized a Health Care Hero who exemplified outstanding service to our mission over the course of the year. Care Alliance recognized Ray Saludares, Ryan White Program Manager and Medical Case Manager. Ray was recognized because of his unwavering dedication to serving his clients in a dignified, sensitive and profoundly professional manner.

Ray has been with the organization for more than six years, and in his time has continued to increase both the number of clients served as well as the retention of existing clients from year to year.

His leadership exemplifies the attitude and dedication required of all health center employees to continue “Serving Locally, Leading Nationally.”

We thank Ray for his service, along with all our dedicated staff at Care Alliance.

More Resources

• Learn more about advocacy for community health centers.
• Sign up to be a grassroots advocate for health centers at NACHC.org.
• Listen to an interview of Neighborhood Family Practice Executive Director Jean Polster on 90.3  WCPN on the morning of the kick-off.
• Learn about next year’s NHCW event. Contact Megan Havey at (216) 781 – 6228 x 249 or mhavey@carealliance.org.