Now retired, Ms. Forquer was the Vice President for Government Affairs at OptumHealth.
Why did you join the CSH Board?
It was an honor to be invited to join the board and I was pleased that the executive staff and Board were 
interested in recruiting someone whose expertise was not in housing, but was in managed care.
CSH’s mission is spot on – ending homelessness is a major, if not the most critical element in giving persons, especially those with serious mental illness, which is who I work with, the opportunity to recover their lives. I don’t think there is any other group that has that focus around ending homelessness.
What excites you the most about CSH’s work in supportive housing?
I’m really excited about the new focus on integration, providing follow up short term medical housing for those people who are being discharged from the hospital who are homeless and don’t have the option for follow up medical care. It’s pretty clear to me, given the CMS regulations now around avoidable readmissions that hospitals need CSH as partners. For CSH to be in that space right now, is the thing I’m most excited about.
Where do you see the supportive housing industry in 10 years?
Most care will be delivered out of health and wellness clinics and as part of that, we will really have to focus on quantifying the cost effectiveness on early intervention and prevention. People will not be going to ER’s except for true emergency care. The silo’s that have served as roadblocks to comprehensive care will disappear in 10 years and will be replaced by a truly comprehensive approach. Housing will be a core element of that new comprehensive approach.
While housing has been recognized as a solution for mental health, it is just now starting to be accepted as a solution for health care in general and that will continue to grow.
What opportunities do you see for Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) to partner with supportive housing and/or create supportive housing?
More state and county RFP’s are requiring MCOs provide supportive housing and maintain a supportive housing provider network .
MCOs are recognizing the need to partner with groups such as CSH, because they need a partner with the expertise in supportive housing. For example, United Health has a master contract with CSH and I believe other MCOs will soon follow.
I believe it is very smart business for MCOs to have a supportive housing partner –for example in avoidable hospital readmissions, if we look at the cause and effect equation – part of the lack of follow up is a result of not having the housing and support in their life to help after a serious hospitalization.
