Dedicated Nurses Meet People Where They Are

Eight companies were honored with awards Thursday at the third annual Sacramento Region Innovation Awards put on by the Sacramento Business Journal.

WellSpace Chief Operating Officer, Brenda Shipp, and Sutter Health Valley Area Community Health Manager, Kelly Brenk, accept the award.

Sutter Health and WellSpace Health were picked from more than 100 applicants in eight categories.

All of the applicants had one common thread: new technology or developments that seek to solve problems.

The honorees were judged by a panel of dozens of entrepreneurs, technologists, technology executives and financiers. Under the Government & Civic category, the top pick was Sutter Health and WellSpace Health for its collaborative street nurse program for the homeless.

Amanda Buccinna, R.N., is part of the Street Nurse Program.

The R.N.’s mobile office travels with compassion meeting people in Sacramento where they are.

“Small issues easily turn serious, if you live on the streets. So that’s right where I go providing treatment, helping them navigate the health system — and being someone they can count on,” Buccinna said.

The not-for-profit healthcare network’s goal is to provide a whole health stability model for the most vulnerable among us.

“Sometimes, honestly, they just want someone to listen to them. That there is somebody that is consistent, that they trust, and that they know is there,” Buccinna said. “If they know someone is invested in them, it makes it slightly more likely they will be invested.”

Kelly Brenk, manager of community health for Sutter Health’s Valley Area, said the Sacramento street nurse program is also part of Sutter Health’s regional “Getting to Zero.” campaign. The initiative, launched in Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties, strives to end homelessness by finding people stable housing before providing support services.

“The Street Nurse pilot program has been so successful that we added a second nurse this year,” Brenk said.

This May Sutter Health launched a similar street medicine team in the Central Valley in collaboration with Golden Valley Health Centers. The Central Valley street medicine team travels through Modesto and Los Banos. The team has a van they use to visit specific locations throughout those cities and provide basic health care to homeless residents.

These are just some of the many ways Sutter Health is giving back to the community. For more on our community programs visit sutterpartners.org.