IHI is pleased to announce a new partnership with Concordia University School of Nursing that brings nursing students on-site to IHI's largest property.  Over the last two years, Innovative Housing has been part of a learning collaborative convened by Enterprise Community Partners to explore the nexus between healthcare and affordable housing.  As part of our work, The Center for Outcomes Research and Education (CORE) conducted an in-depth study based on 145 affordable properties.  The study documents that within a year of moving into affordable housing, residents increased their use of primary care by 20%, had 18% fewer emergency department visits, and reduced their accumulated medical expenditures by 12%.  Residents also reported better access to and quality of health care.  Significantly, the CORE study documented that a key driver of positive health care outcomes is on-site, integrated health services.  

To this end, we are very excited that Concordia student nurses are now working on-site at Musolf Manor!  Residents receive priority for housing at Musolf Manor if they are seniors or have a disability, and many of our residents suffer from chronic conditions.  Concordia nursing students at the property provide extra support to help residents manage these conditions and care for themselves.  Foot care clinics are one extremely beneficial service the nursing students provide that residents and staff really appreciate.  Many of our residents are unable to personally care for their feet due to health conditions, which eventually results in foot problems that can hinder their ability to move comfortably.  At the foot care clinic, residents have the opportunity to sit down with a student nurse, get their feet washed, have lotion applied, and have their toenails clipped and filed.  This seemingly small gesture is actually quite significant in our residents' lives - knowing that someone cares enough to do this lifts their spirits, and physically addressing foot issues that cause pain helps them be more mobile and independent.  The nurses can also refer residents to doctors and help them make medical appointments if they find anything that needs further medical attention. 

Another health need that student nurses are addressing at Musolf Manor is nutrition.  When they learned that many Musolf Manor residents do their grocery shopping at local convenience stores in Old Town, they took the initiative to go above and beyond to help our residents eat healthier.  Taking into consideration the financial and transportation obstacles facing our residents, the student nurses challenged themselves to come up with healthy eating options using food that is available locally.  They visited each convenience store, took note of what items they sell, and at what price.  The nurses then developed healthy recipes using food items that Musolf residents can easily access and will be offering cooking demonstrations to residents to help them improve their diets. 

Next Fall, we will expand our partnership with Concordia School of Nursing to include The Clifford Apartments, another IHI property where residents will greatly benefit from on-site health services.  We at IHI are thrilled with this new partnership and look forward to continuing our work with Concordia in the future. 

Click here read more about the CORE study!

Glen H. Larsen grew up in Ogden, Utah and moved to Los Angeles as an adult where he lived for ten years. Fourteen years ago he decided to try his hand in the Pacific Northwest and he came to Portland. He lives and works downtown, and spends a lot of time in his studio where he creates his paintings.  Glen is an experimental painter using bold color and design to express how he sees or feels.  Glen takes a minimalist/constructionist approach, rendering down the elements that he has chosen to work with to their simplest form, line, color, and arrangement.  He does not focus on working an image into a space, but working to make the space the image.  "I see my works as pieces of space looking for a blank space to fill."