Health Care and the Homeless – Nashville, TN

Health-care barriers overwhelm Nashville homeless, By Christina E. Sanchez, August 18, 2009, The Tennessean: “Robert Tucker kept having dizzy spells and felt weak a couple of months ago, but he didn’t see a doctor because he didn’t have health insurance or even a job. Tucker, who is homeless, finally went to the doctor after a former boss offered aid, and he learned he has diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and hepatitis C. But as health-care workers say, the easy part of caring for the homeless like Tucker is diagnosing their condition. ‘The hard part is treating,’ said Mary Bufwack, CEO of United Neighborhood Health Services. ‘And we are seeing more people in the streets and more families in hotels…'”