New programs aim to bridge gaps between healthcare and homeless services in Salem

In the winter of 2023, Melisa Blake died of hypothermia in a downtown Salem parking lot hours after being discharged from Salem Hospital.

Soon, there will be a case manager and patient advocate embedded in the emergency room, working to make sure that doesn’t happen to anyone else.

Their job will be to figure out where homeless patients can safely go after they’re discharged. One of the options will also be new – a shelter…