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Across California, many hospital emergency departments are treating individuals who visit hospitals multiple times a year, often because of complex physical, mental, and social needs. Known as "frequent users," these individuals often experience chronic illness, mental health, and substance abuse disorders, and homelessness.
Launched in 2002, the Frequent Users of Health Services Initiative (the Initiative) was a six-year joint project of The California Endowment and the California HealthCare Foundation, with program direction and technical assistance provided by the Corporation for Supportive Housing. The Initiative included six pilot programs designed to test new models of care for "frequent users" of hospital emergency departments. Through grant making and intensive programming, the Initiative focused on building a more responsive system of care to decrease frequent users' avoidable emergency department visits and hospital stays.
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