GNYHA is writing to remind hospitals about New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) and NYC Health + Hospitals Test & Trace (H+H Test & Trace) hotel programs for homeless individuals and others requiring ongoing isolation who do not have a home to isolate in, respectively.
DHS Referral Form for COVID-19 or COVID-19 Like Illness
- individuals up to age 75 years
- individuals requiring dialysis
- individuals with a history of serious mental illness so long as the most recent ED visit or hospitalization was not for psychiatric reasons.
DHS will review referrals for DHS clients with COVID-19 or COVID-19 like illness requiring ongoing hotel isolation Monday-Friday between 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. and weekends and holidays at midday. Individuals accepted for placement at a DHS isolation hotel can be discharged any time.
Newly identified individuals experiencing homelessness that are 1) not admitted or seen for non-COVID-19 reasons or 2) have recovered from COVID-19 and completed the recommended 10-day isolation period should complete the routine DHS referral form and process. Routine referrals will be reviewed Monday–Friday between 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Patients can be discharged five days a week between 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
H+H Test & Trace Hotel Referrals
Hospitals should continue to refer clients experiencing homelessness who are unknown to DHS, and other individuals who cannot return home due to an ongoing need for isolation and who require clinical support and social services to the H+H Test & Trace hotel program. The H+H hotel program cannot accommodate patients who need 24-hour supervision. Hospitals referring to the H+H Hotel Program are required to complete the H+H RN Clinical Review Checklist, which a team of nurse reviewers will evaluate for appropriateness. Completed referrals should be emailed to expeditedref@nychhc.org.
The program operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and patients can be transferred from the hospital upon acceptance between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. daily; requests for discharge can be made up to 12:00 midnight daily, however, requests made after 9:00 p.m. will be evaluated the following day. Patient transport services are provided from the hospital to the hotel and to the patient’s home at the end of the hotel stay. The H+H Test & Trace hotel program is staffed by on-call physicians, onsite registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, care coordinators, and social workers.
Submission of DHS and Take Care Hotel Referral Forms
DHS and Test & Trace hotel operators requested GNYHA remind members to submit complete referrals for individuals ready for discharge to reduce delays.
Please distribute this updated information widely to discharge planners, social workers, care coordinators, and other staff as appropriate.