Homeless and Farmworker Health Program Needs Assessment

The San Mateo Medical Center (SMMC) Healthcare for the Homeless and Farmworker Health Program (HCH/FH) Needs Assessment is conducted every two to three years in an effort to improve access to, and delivery and quality of, healthcare for people experiencing homelessness and farmworkers and their families The goal of this needs assessment is to understand the care experience/journey of SMMC’s homeless and farmworker patients and healthcare team and make system recommendations based on the findings related to how to improve service delivery, reduce barriers, and improve satisfaction for both patients and care teams.

In 2022 and 2023, surveys were administered to SMMC’s care teams and patients. Care teams were asked their perspectives, knowledge, and beliefs of their patients who were experiencing homelessness and/or farmworkers and their families; their confidence and satisfaction in providing care to these populations; and to identify the supports needed to improve the quality of care. Patients were asked how they like to receive care at SMMC, their levels of trust and understanding of their healthcare plans, their health priorities, and their satisfaction with care at SMMC. Responses from 86 care team members and 183 patients form the backbone of this report.