Medical Respite Collaborative
A transformative collaboration led by Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless (AHCH). Launched in early 2025, this innovative initiative expands access to integrated health care for individuals experiencing homelessness, offering a safe, supportive environment to recover from illness or injury.
FAQs
What is Medical Respite?
Think of it like a ‘home’ environment for people as they recover from illness or injury. If you were in the hospital getting surgery, your surgeon would eventually discharge you home to finish recovering. Patients who don’t have a home to recover in, need medical respite. Medical respite will also provide pre-admission care to help an individual prepare for surgery or prevent hospitalization. Simply put, Medical respite provides a place for people without homes who are not ill enough to remain in a hospital but are too ill to recover on the streets
Who is Medical Respite For?
Clients must be experiencing homelessness, over 18 years old, have an acute medical condition, and meet the inclusion criteria for medical respite including ability to perform all activities of daily living.
How long can clients stay in Medical Respite?
On average, clients will stay 45 to 60 days. However, length of stay will be determined by the AHCH care team and can be extended based on medical need.
How does the referral process work?
Because this is a pilot program, the Albuquerque Medical Respite Collaborative is only accepting referrals from the following places: UNM Hospital, First Nations, and AHCH providers. All referring providers must fill out a referral form. Then the Medical Respite Operations Manager will review and process the referral.
Is Medical Respite new?
No. This is a care model that has been done here in Albuquerque and across the country in a variety of different models. We worked with the National Health Care for the Homeless to follow the national standards, and have visited other respite programs around the country. We’ve had medical respite services through our motel vouchers and our medical respite voucher program historically, but this is the first time we’ve had a free-standing space to help folks recover. While medical respites vary, all programs shares the same fundamental elements: short-term residential care that allows people experiencing homelessness the opportunity to rest, recover, and heal in a safe environment while accessing medical care and supportive services.
Medical Respite Photos Courtesy of the City of Albuquerque
The Albuquerque Medical Respite Collaborative
How It Started
This project is the result of nearly eight years of planning and collaboration led by Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless (AHCH). Beginning in 2017, AHCH convened the Medical Respite Work Group, which included the City of Albuquerque, University of New Mexico Hospital, Heading Home, and Barrett Foundation, to evaluate the community’s existing medical respite infrastructure.
Through a comprehensive needs assessment, national technical assistance convening, and independent evaluation process, the group found that the existing model was insufficient, with high rates of discharge back into shelters and repeated hospital readmissions. A 2021 report by AHCH highlighted the urgent need for a sustainable medical respite program, citing national data showing that people experiencing homelessness face significantly higher hospital readmission rates, longer hospital stays, and substantially increased mortality risk.
In response, AHCH partnered with the City of Albuquerque, First Nations Community HealthSource, UNMH, and Heading Home to design a comprehensive medical respite model. The program operates out of the Gateway Center, the former Lovelace Hospital purchased by the City in 2020 and redeveloped as a centralized hub for supportive services.
A Healing Space
Transforming Care
