Cost analysis of a nursing center for the homeless

Single women and children now make up a third of the vulnerable U.S. homeless population who tend to seek health care only when their symptoms can no longer be ignored. The school of nursing at SUNY was one of the programs funded by HHS Division of Nursing to develop and implement a nursing center that would provide primary health services to the homeless. The cost of providing nursing services to homeless clients in nurse-managed centers was compared to costs for alternatives in the community including emergency department visits or care at the county supported nurse-run outpatient clinics. The four sites that served the homeless donated space for the SUNY project nurses to see patients. This enhanced accessibility, earlier intervention in health care problems, and decreased client cost (and time) for transportation to other service providers. The potential for earlier and less costly interventions confirmed the value of this humanistic nurse-run service for the homeless.