With over 660 referrals submitted since January, the Los Angeles County pilot can ease care transitions for more patients experiencing homelessness

Safety Net Connect (SNC), a leading provider of advanced virtual care solutions, and the National Institute for Medical Respite Care, a special program of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC), will expand their Recup Connect pilot program to four Los Angeles-based CommonSpirit Health hospitals. The pilot, which was designed to improve hospital discharge coordination by connecting acute care hospitals with recuperative care providers in the local geographic area, is currently used at seven other hospitals and care providers across LA County.

Launched in January 2025, the pilot has facilitated over 660 referrals, using Safety Net Connect’s Recup Connect platform to enable electronic referrals along with a dashboard view of the recuperative care facility’s bed availability, acuity capability and other factors. This holistic view, similar to a hotel’s reservation site, assists in the quick and seamless placement of a discharged patient to streamline transitions, including:

• Real-time bed availability and eligibility criteria
• Electronic referrals, allowing hospitals to send referrals directly to preferred facilities or into a shared pending queue for provider review
• Secure, centralized messaging between care settings

The addition of four new CommonSpirit acute hospitals will strengthen the pilot’s post-acute provider network across LA County and improve access to recuperative care for patients who need it most.

“This expansion underscores our shared commitment to bridging the gap between hospital discharge and community-based recuperative care,” said Keith Matsutsuyu, CEO and Co-founder of Safety Net Connect. “By strengthening these connections, we’re ensuring that patients experiencing homelessness or housing instability receive the continued care and support they need to recover.”

This growth likewise represents the next phase of the pilot as it moves toward broader adoption with the inclusion of health plans. Current participants include health systems like Cedars-Sinai, as well as a variety of recuperative care providers like Golden State Recuperative care, Harbor Care Foundation and Horizon Recuperative Care facilities.

“Medical respite care fills a critical gap in the health care system for people experiencing homelessness,” added Bobby Watts, CEO of NHCHC. “By expanding the Recup Connect pilot, we are creating stronger, more seamless connections between hospitals and recuperative care providers—ensuring that vulnerable patients more quickly get the stability and support they need to heal.”

About Safety Net Connect

On a mission to connect patients with the services and specialist insights they need, Safety Net Connect (SNC) provides healthcare organizations with technology solutions that place critical resources and information directly into provider hands. Our suite of scalable products drives value across operations, including care coordination, referrals, eConsults and more. Long-standing Medicaid, state, payer and provider partners use SNC to close care gaps, improve coordination, facilitate access and support provider workflows, ultimately improving outcomes across tens of millions of patient lives. Learn more: safetynetconnect.com.

About the National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC)

The National Health Care for the Homeless Council works to improve homeless health care through training and technical assistance, researching and sharing best practices, advocating for real solutions to end homelessness, and uplifting voices of people experiencing homelessness. The National Institute for Medical Respite Care (NIMRC) is a special program of NHCHC created to improve and expand access to medical respite care nationwide.

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