The Health Care Center for the Homeless (HCCH) manages a residential shelter for homeless individuals suffering from infectious tuberculosis. The only one of its kind in Central Florida, this 10 bed shelter has been in operation since 1995 and provides on-site supervised therapy, ensures patient safety, and limits an infected individual’s contact with the community as a whole. Tuberculosis is spread through the air and TB exposure occurs when common air space is shared with someone who is in the infectious stage of TB for an extended period.
The most commonly affected area is the lungs, but TB can affect other parts of the body such as the kidneys, brain, eyes, and liver. Full recovery usually requires an average stay of six months at our shelter and patients are monitored for their response to treatment by the Health Department.
HCCH provides primary medical, dental, and behavioral health services while the Health Department addresses any TB specific issues. Social and nutritional needs are addressed by HCCH and patients are provided with housing and utilities at no charge. In2010, HCCH served eight patients with this program for a total of 744 bed nights.