Laurel Nelson and the National Agenda

The Center for Respite Care works with organizations like ours nationwide. Together, we learn best practices, share stories, and offer solutions. We are proud that our CEO—Laurel Nelson— is the chair of the steering committee for the national Respite Care Providers Network (RCPN.) Laurel has a long history of serving our region’s most vulnerable. She is now leading thought for our work on a national basis.

Laurel has been our CEO for over ten years. In that time we have expanded and become well known for our service. It is with Laurel’s leadership that we can secure funds, work with elected officials and community leaders, area hospitals, and garner media partners.

The RCPN is an important partner for us.

What does the RCPN do?

The RCPN offers a rich community of fellowship to support frontline administrators, clinicians, consumers, and advocates⁠—and improve their care for those who need it most. RCPN is a membership network of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC).

The mission of the RCPN is to improve the health status of individuals who are experiencing homelessness by supporting programs that provide medical respite care (also known as recuperative care) and related services. The RCPN has always been rooted in collaboration, and the opportunity for providers to connect as a community remains one of the most important values of this network.

Greater Cincinnati’s Center for Respite Care is one of these providers.

The steering committee informs the vision and objectives for the Council’s medical respite work and its membership needs through monthly meetings, an annual leadership summit, and a work plan.

For organizations like ours, there are ways for you to get involved:

Join RCPN for Virtual and In-Person Events

Virtual convenings are offered monthly and include Coffee Chats, Webinars, and All Member Meetings.

• Coffee Chats are discussion-based virtual convenings where providers and program staff can come together to talk through an issue related to medical respite programs. These are highly interactive, where attendees have an opportunity to actively engage with each other and subject matter experts.
• Webinars are didactic sessions focused on a particular topic that enable providers and program staff to learn about strategies and promising practices to implement within their programs. These may include Q&A sessions but are primarily a structured learning opportunity.
• All Member Meetings provide an opportunity to join together with other medical respite program providers and administrators to discuss key issues affecting medical respite care. We will provide updates on NIMRC, resources, and policy issues. This will be followed by a short presentation and large group discussion on current issues affecting the field, offering attendees the opportunity to connect, share experiences, and learn insights from other programs.

Become Part of Our Community

The Respite Care Providers’ Network (RCPN) is a membership network of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. We invite your participation at the following levels.

We encourage like-minded organizations to consider being part of the RCPN. Thank you for your support of the Center and for our clients. We are all in this together.