Syracuse’s largest homeless shelter opens onsite health wing

Syracuse, N.Y. - The Rescue Mission, Syracuse’s largest homeless shelter, has opened an onsite health center where clients can get both medical and mental health care without having leaving the building.

“This medical wing represents our shared commitment to ensuring that no one is left without access to healthcare,” said Dan Sieburg, CEO of the Rescue Mission.

The shelter is partnering with Syracuse Community Health Center on project.

The community healthcare agency had been providing services onsite on a limited basis but was constrained by the lack of any medical equipment at the shelter. Having medical equipment onsite will allow health center staff to expand their treatment.

The new medical wing has been outfitted with equipment through a $150,000 grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation.

It’s an idea that’s been a decade in the making. The wing was part of the design of the shelter when it opened 10 years ago, but getting it outfitted with equipment and staff proved challenging.

Amber Vander Ploeg, the chief program officer at the homeless shelter, said the upgrade will allow the agency to operate the wing as it was intended. Residents will be able to get the same service they would at a primary care provider, including bloodwork, stitches and gynecological care.

They also now have access to the same mental health specialists on a regular basis.

“It’s like they have a therapist in their house,” she said.

The average life-expectancy of someone experiencing homelessness is 48 years old, in part because they receive little medical or mental health care. Vander Ploeg said the hope is that the clinic will change that outcome.

Helio Health is providing also providing drug treatment services at the health center, but the majority of the care will be provided by Syracuse Community Health Center. The wing is technically a clinic of the center, which provides care for Syracuse’s underserved.

“Our mission has always been about accessibility and community care,” said Dr. Ofrona Reid, president and CEO of Syracuse Community Health Center. Setting up a clinic onsite at the Rescue Mission will increase the odds that clients will get both medical and mental health care that they need.

Right now, the clinic is offering medical care one day a week and mental health care two days a week. They plan to expand that as more people take advantage of it, Vander Ploeg said.

The wing has four rooms outfitted with basic medical equipment. The clinic can serve 15 people a day for medical care, and eight people a day for mental health care.

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