RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — Prisma Health and Richland County government have created a Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) response team to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in the Midlands' homeless population.
According to Prisma Health, as COVID-19 began to spread in early 2020, the two agencies worked to plan for Alternate Care Sites (ACS) in case hospitals reached capacity. Though the ACS were not needed, the team realized the need to help stop the spread among the homeless population.
As part of Richland County Emergency Medical Service (EMS), the MIH team have tested potential residents of the downtown Transitions Homeless Center for COVID-19 since May.
Transitions can request potential residents be tested for COVID-19 and an MIH team member will come to the shelter and conduct a nasal swab test.
Dr. Bill Gerard, medical director for the Prisma Health Midlands Emergency Departments and Medical Director for Richland County Emergency Medical Services, says the program has been very successful.
“It has made a huge impact. We haven’t seen a massive outbreak in these members of the community. It is a well-coordinated effort that helped stop the spread.”
According to the release, while the test is being processed, potential residents are placed in isolation. Those who test negative can continue the process to become a resident at Transitions, while those who test positive are quarantined away from the shelter.
Michael Byrd, Richland County EMS director, added, “Oftentimes the homeless population is underserved and lacks access to health care. This, coupled with their close living conditions in the various shelters, make them extremely at risk for easy transmission of diseases such as COVID-19.”
The program has been expanded into the winter months and will also serve the residents of the Salvation Army and Toby’s Place shelters in addition to Transitions.
Craig Currey, Transitions Homeless Center Chief Executive Officer, believes the service has been critical.
"This service has allowed us to remove someone who is sick from a congregate setting and place them in a safer recovery environment. The flexibility of them to come onsite, test the client, and then get the results back immediately has benefited our clients and has been a great help to us. It allows us to continue taking care of a large population of homeless people while removing the extremely few who are sick and make sure they receive the medical care needed,” Currey said.
