Health & Education Housing Services Inc

HEALTH AND EDUCATION HOUSING SERVICES, INC. (HEHS) IS PART OF THE LARGEST NETWORK OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER SERVICES IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS WITH ITS AFFILIATES, NORTHEAST BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CORPORATION D/B/A BETH ISRAEL LAHEY HEALTH BEHAVIORAL SERVICES (BILH BS) AND CAB HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES, INC. (CAB). HEHS PROVIDES HUD SECTION 811 SUPPORTED APARTMENT HOMES FOR LOW INCOME DISABLED PERSONS.

HEALTH AND EDUCATION HOUSING SERVICES, INC. (HEHS), IS PART OF THE LARGEST NETWORK OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER SERVICES IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS THROUGH ITS AFFILIATION NORTHEAST BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CORPORATION D/B/A BETH ISRAEL LAHEY HEALTH BEHAVIORAL SERVICES (BILH BS). BILH BS PROVIDES HIGH-QUALITY MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION TREATMENT, INCLUDING A FULL CONTINUUM OF CARE FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS RANGING FROM INPATIENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES. TREATMENT OFFERINGS INCLUDE MOBILE CRISIS TEAMS FOR BEHAVIORAL AND SUBSTANCE-RELATED EMERGENCIES; INPATIENT PSYCHIATRIC AND DETOXIFICATION TREATMENT; RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS; OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION CLINICS; AND MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT PROGRAMS FOR PERSONS WITH OPIOID USE DISORDERS.HEHS SUPPORTS THE MISSION OF BILH BS, BY PROVIDING HOUSING FOR LOW INCOME DISABLED PERSONS UNDER A HUD SECTION 811 SUPPORTED HOUSING PROGRAM. HEHS OWNS AND MANAGES A 9-UNIT APARTMENT BUILDING IN SALEM MASSACHUSETTS. THE BUILDING PROVIDES HOUSING FOR UP TO 17 RESIDENTS IN ONE 1-BEDROOM AND EIGHT 2-BEDROOM UNITS.BILH'S COVID-19 RESPONSE IN FY 2020BETH ISRAEL LAHEY HEALTH ("BILH") QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY MARSHALLED ITS RESOURCES TO MOUNT A COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC (THROUGH JUNE OF 2021), BILH HAS TREATED OVER 8,500 HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS WITH COVID-19 AND PERFORMED MORE THAN 700,000 COVID-19 DIAGNOSTIC TESTS. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SYSTEM'S PANDEMIC RESPONSE IN FY 2020 INCLUDE: BILH QUICKLY ESTABLISHED AN EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER ("EOC") TO ALIGN SYSTEM EFFORTS ACROSS ITS HOSPITALS AND OTHER BUSINESS UNITS AND WITH EXTERNAL ENTITIES, INCLUDING THE STATE GOVERNMENT. THE EOC HELD REGULAR MEETINGS WITH INCIDENT COMMANDERS, EMERGENCY MANAGERS, AND SENIOR LEADERS FROM BILH HOSPITALS, PRIMARY CARE, AND OTHER SYSTEM ENTITIES TO COORDINATE PLANS, POLICIES, AND COMMUNICATIONS. IT PARTICIPATED IN WEEKLY CONFERENCE OF BOSTON TEACHING HOSPITALS ("COBTH") CALLS AND MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH COMMAND CENTER CALLS. A KEY ROLE OF THE EOC INVOLVED MANAGING THE FLOW OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL INFORMATION TO ENSURE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND ALIGNMENT OF RESPONSES TO THE PANDEMIC. FINALLY, THE EOC WORKED WITH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PARTNERS TO CENTRALIZE COVID-19 RELATED DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING FOR THE SYSTEM, COMMONWEALTH, AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. IN MARCH 2020, BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER ("BIDMC") BECAME ONE OF THE FIRST HOSPITAL LABORATORIES IN THE STATE TO BEGIN IN-HOUSE HIGH-THROUGHPUT POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION ("PCR") COVID-19 TESTING FOR PATIENTS AND HEALTHCARE WORKERS. BIDMC'S LABORATORY PROVIDED THIS TEST TO BILH HOSPITALS AND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS, SUCH AS HEALTH CENTERS AND CORRECTIONS FACILITIES, AT A TIME OF CRITICAL SUPPLY SHORTAGE. THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC, BILH WORKED TOWARD ADDITIONAL IN-HOUSE TESTING CAPABILITIES, INCLUDING HIGH-THROUGHPUT THERMO FISHER INSTRUMENTS AT LAHEY HOSPITAL & MEDICAL CENTER ("LHMC"). THE SYSTEM OPERATIONALIZED MULTIPLE DRIVE-THROUGH COVID-19 TESTING SITES TO ENABLE EASY ACCESS FOR PATIENTS AND STAFF. IN THE SUMMER OF 2020, TO EXPAND HOSPITAL AND CLINIC-BASED COVID-19 TESTING SITES, BILH OPENED AN ADDITIONAL HIGH-CAPACITY DRIVE-THROUGH TESTING SITE IN WOBURN.TO ENSURE CONTINUED ACCESS TO CARE FOR ITS PATIENTS, BILH PRIMARY CARE RAPIDLY DEPLOYED A TELEHEALTH STRATEGY, QUICKLY TRANSITIONED TO COHORT CLINICS TO CARE FOR SICK PATIENTS, AND SUCCESSFULLY MANAGED A PHASED REOPENING BY JULY 2020. BILH ESTABLISHED A TEMPORARY COMMUNITY CRISIS STABILIZATION UNIT AT NEW ENGLAND BAPTIST HOSPITAL TO MANAGE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PATIENT VOLUME DURING THE PANDEMIC. BILH ESTABLISHED A DAILY HUDDLE CONSISTING OF BILH ED AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH LEADERS TO DETERMINE APPROPRIATE PATIENT TRANSFERS TO THE UNIT. BILH'S VIRTUAL TRANSFER CENTER WAS FORMED IN SEPTEMBER 2019 TO OPTIMIZE SYSTEM-WIDE BED CAPACITY USING REAL-TIME INFORMATION EXCHANGE AMONG THE THREE EXISTING TRANSFER CENTERS AT BIDMC, LHMC AND MOUNT AUBURN HOSPITAL ("MAH"). THE TRANSFER TEAM PERSONNEL AT THESE CENTERS WORK TOGETHER AS A SINGLE "VIRTUAL" CENTER TO ACCOMMODATE INCOMING TRANSFER REQUESTS BY MAKING ALL BEDS AVAILABLE IN THE SYSTEM BASED ON FACILITY CAPACITY AND LEVEL OF CARE REQUIRED. THE TRANSFER CENTER ENHANCED PATIENT QUALITY, SAFETY, AND ACCESS BY LOAD BALANCING COVID PATIENTS ACROSS ALL OF ITS HOSPITALS SO THAT THESE PATIENTS RECEIVED TIMELY ACCESS TO THE TYPE OF BED AND LEVEL OF CARE NEEDED. BILH COLLABORATED WITH EXTERNAL ENTITIES TO STAND UP A 1,000-BED FIELD HOSPITAL, THE BOSTON HOPE HOSPITAL, AND OPEN AND STAFF A COVID HOTEL FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. BILH LAUNCHED A WEBSITE TITLED THE CORONAVIRUS RESOURCE CENTER TO PROVIDE ITS PATIENT COMMUNITY WITH UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION REGARDING THE SYSTEM'S RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC, AVAILABLE RESOURCES SUCH AS TESTING SITES, AND INNOVATION EFFORTS UNDERWAY THROUGHOUT BILH (E.G., VAPORIZED HYDROGEN PEROXIDE STERILIZATION FOR N95 RESPIRATORS). BILH LAUNCHED AN INTERNAL WEBSITE WITH RESOURCES FOR ITS STAFF AS WELL. BILH CREATED SYSTEM-WIDE GUIDELINES FOR INFECTION PREVENTION ACROSS MANY DOMAINS, INCLUDING PATIENT AND VISITOR SCREENING AND THE RECONFIGURATION OF AMBULATORY CLINIC SPACES TO ALLOW FOR RECOMMENDED PHYSICAL DISTANCING. BILH'S HUMAN RESOURCES TEAM DEVELOPED AND PROVIDED SYSTEM-WIDE PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND TOOLS TO ENSURE ITS HOSPITALS WERE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF ITS STAFF WHILE DELIVERING SAFE, EFFECTIVE CARE TO ITS PATIENTS. EXAMPLES OF THESE RESOURCES INCLUDE AN ENHANCED SUPPLEMENTAL LEAVE POLICY; AN EASY-TO-USE, AUTOMATED EMPLOYEE COVID-19 SYMPTOM ATTESTATION TOOL; AN ONLINE, COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR MANAGING ANXIETY; AND TELECOMMUTING GUIDELINES. IN LATE MARCH 2020 BILH CREATED HOUSING FOR QUARANTINE OF STAFF EXPOSED TO COVID-19. HOUSING WAS SET UP AT A LOCAL UNIVERSITY AND HOTELS COVERING THE NETWORK'S SERVICE AREA. APPROXIMATELY 300 STAFF MEMBERS TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE HOUSING FROM MARCH TO JULY 2020. IN ADDITION TO HOUSING, FOOD AND SUPPLY DELIVERY SERVICES WERE CREATED TO MINIMIZE PUBLIC CONTACT. BILH COLLABORATED REGULARLY WITH COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER ("CHC") AFFILIATES ON COVID-RELATED CARE, TESTING, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT ("PPE"), AND PATIENT OUTREACH. BILH SHARED REAL-TIME ACCESS TO BILH COVID-19-RELATED OPERATIONAL POLICIES, PROCESSES, AND GUIDELINES IN ADDITION TO TRANSLATED PATIENT HANDOUTS, FLYERS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS AROUND THE "STOP THE SPREAD" CAMPAIGN. AS HEALTH CENTERS WORKED TO ESTABLISH STABLE SUPPLY CHAINS OF PPE, BILH DONATED GLOVES, N95S, ISOLATION GOWNS, DISINFECTANT WIPES, EYE PROTECTION, HAND SANITIZER, AND SURGICAL MASKS. BILH DEPLOYED STAFF AT COMMUNITY TESTING SITES SUCH AS AT THE DIMOCK CENTER. CHC STAFF WERE INCLUDED IN THE AFOREMENTIONED BILH-FUNDED TEMPORARY HOUSING PROGRAM FOR STAFF. BILH ALSO SUPPORTED SAFETY NET AFFILIATE HOSPITALS WITH REAL-TIME BILH COVID-19 PROTOCOLS AND POLICIES, MED/SURG AND ICU BED LOAD-BALANCING EFFORTS, ICU STAFFING, AND PPE NEEDS. IN FY 2021, BILH CONTINUED TO PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE COMMONWEALTH'S RESPONSE TO THIS UNPRECEDENTED PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS, MOST NOTABLY THROUGH ITS PATIENT VACCINATION EFFORTS. BILH WILL PROVIDE DETAIL ON THESE EFFORTS IN ITS FY 2021 TAX RETURN FILING.