Dignity Health makes major contribution to keep city's Triage Shelter open
Dignity Health of Sacramento today announced a $1.65 million investment to help alleviate Sacramento's crisis of homelessness. The bulk of the money -- $1.2 million -- will go to keep the City's Triage Shelter on Railroad Drive in north Sacramento open for three more months, until the end of November.
The cost of extending services at the shelter include re-installing heating units for the colder months and continued community mitigation from the Downtown Streets Team. The remaining $450,000 of Dignity's contribution will be allocated at a later time.
"Dignity Health is proud to support the City's efforts to provide shelter to the homeless," said Laurie Harting, senior vice president of operations for Dignity Health's greater Sacramento region. "Housing is a key determinant in an individual's health. Our investment in the City's work to address this issue truly represents our core values and mission to care for some of the most vulnerable in our region."
Dignity and other health providers in the Sacramento region have also been the key local funders of the City's $64-million Whole Person Care initiative, known as Pathways to Health + Home. Outreach workers with Pathways identify people who have been frequent users of hospital and emergency care services or have had frequent contact with police. They connect those people with health care and other wrap-around services to get them off the street and ultimately into permanent housing.
"The City of Sacramento appreciates Dignity Health's leadership on both the Triage Shelter and in funding our Whole Person Care program," Mayor Darrell Steinberg said. "These innovative approaches are already proving we can get thousands of people off the street."
Since the Triage Shelter opened in May, it has served approximately 400 people, including 200 current residents. As of July 18, 115 of those people had been placed in more permanent housing.
Sutter Health has also been a significant contributor to the Triage Center. It granted the City $1.3 million to keep the facility open from June to August. Another $1 million from Sutter is still set aside to use on longer-term sites for Triage Shelters.
Dignity Contacts:
William Hodges
(916) 851-2683
Melissa Jue
(916) 851-2052
Mayor’s Office:
Mary Lynne Vellinga
916-599-3724
David Patterson recently arrived at the City's Triage Shelter. He suffers from a variety of health problems and recently had a triple bypass operation.
