1984
Boston receives funds for one of 19 homeless health care pilot programs that will be funded across the country by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJ) and the Pew Charitable Trusts (PCT).
1985
BHCHP begins providing comprehensive primary care and dental services at 3 hospital clinics and 14 adult and family shelter clinics.
The Family Team of health care providers is created to focus on the special needs of homeless families living in shelters, hotels and motels.
The nation's first medical respite program is opened by BHCHP with 5 beds at the Lemuel Shattuck Shelter. These will grow to 25 beds over the next few months.
1986
Street Team medical services begin with a physician on Pine Street Inn (PSI)'s overnight van.
1987
HIV Team is created by BHCHP. This is the first multidisciplinary, multicultural program in the country to offer primary and specialty care for homeless persons with HIV.
1988
BHCHP becomes a federally qualified health center (FQHC) after the passage of the McKinney Act and receives funding from the Human Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)'s Bureau of Primary Health.
1990
BHCHP collaboration with many area schools of medicine in the training of interns and residents is already a regular aspect of life at BHCHP and will evolve to include collaboration with all the area hospitals, schools of medicine and schools of nursing over the next few years.
1991
BHCHP publishes The Manual of Common Communicable Diseases in Shelters, the first manual of communicable diseases and common problems among homeless persons for medical professionals, shelter staff and guests.
1992
Clinic at Suffolk Downs Thoroughbred Racetrack opens, the first in the nation serving the needs of more than 500 homeless and migrant backstretch workers who live at the track.
1993
The Barbara McInnis House opens for medical respite care, the first facility of its kind in the country, providing effective, dignified, around the clock respite care for patients too sick for shelter or the streets but not sick enough to occupy an acute care bed in one of Boston's hospitals.
The Consumer Advisory Board (CAB) is formed for BHCHP.
1994
The Street Team expands in response to the growing number of deaths on the streets, to include medical rounds on the street during the day and at Boston Night Center and on the PSI van at night.
BHCHP begins offering behavioral health services to address a growing, unmet need. This service quickly becomes an indispensable aspect of the care provided at virtually every BHCHP site.
1996
BHCHP implements the nation's first electronic medical record (EMR) for a homeless program to better coordinate care across hospital and shelter clinics. This is done in collaboration with the Laboratory of Computer Science at Massachusetts General Hospital.
1998
Research Institute is created to support staff development and enhance capacity to explore broader trends in homeless health care.
1999
Consumer Advisory Board (CAB) members join BHCHP Board of Directors.
2003
The Street Team integrates medical and behavioral health care with the addition of a part-time psychiatrist and licensed clinical social worker.
BHCHP assumes responsibility for the primary care clinics at Pine Street Inn, Long Island Shelter and Woods-Mullen Shelter, three of Boston's largest homeless shelters.
2004
BHCHP launches a Volunteer Services Program. Volunteers can now offer their help in fulfilling the mission of BHCHP while they expand their understanding of the causes and effects of homelessness.
2006
Program-wide integration of primary care with behavioral health is realized when full-time psychiatrists and social workers are implemented in two BHCHP teams in a pilot program with the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH) funded by MGH.
2008
Jean Yawkey Place opens following a successful $42M capital campaign...just in time to meet a sharp increase in homelessness. It houses integrated medical, behavioral health and dental clinics, a pharmacy and an expanded 104 bed Barbara McInnis House.
2009
Jean Yawkey Place meets the growing challenge in its first full year of operation
. 35% more primary care patients
. 33% more dental patients
. 34% more behavioral health patients
. 7 % more admissions for respite care.
. 200% increase in the services provided at the pharmacy.
The BHCHP Transgender Clinic opens at Jean Yawkey Place in response to the lack of essential health care services for this extremely vulnerable homeless population.
BHCHP's Emergency Preparedness Team leads on-going medical response to H1N1 pandemic by educating all the city's shelter directors as well as in-house staff and patients in how to effectively handle this health crisis.