Gabrielle Johnson, NP, left shares a moment with homeless patient Kevin Mowrey, 58, after his vaccination, April 12, 2021. (USC Photo/Gus Ruelas)

Street Medicine

Homelessness has grown to epidemic proportions in California. In Los Angeles County alone, more than 52,000 people are homeless. The vast majority of homeless people are not living in shelters and have little to no medical care available to them. Street Medicine serves the homeless community by providing direct care on the streets and under bridges to the unsheltered and hardest to reach populations. All care is provided free of charge and delivered on-site, including dispensing medications and drawing blood for testing. The Street Medicine movement has grown exponentially in recent years and is now active in more than 60 American cities. Not only does Street Medicine offer care — often lifesaving care — but it also reduces costs for communities by addressing many health concerns before they intensify.

USC has named homelessness as a priority in need of unique and innovative solutions. Research has shown that among people who are homeless:

• Average life expectancy is 42-52 years of age; it is 78 for housed individuals.
• 38 percent have two or more major medical illnesses.
• 25 percent have a severe mental illness.
• At least 30 percent have a current drug-use disorder.

The Keck School of Medicine of USC’s Street Medicine program is an emerging collaboration of interdisciplinary health care professionals that aims to improve care for the homeless while advocating for health care justice in Los Angeles through medical and social service outreach and research. The city’s homeless population encounters numerous barriers to primary health care despite experiencing a disproportionate burden of acute and chronic health issues. Under the direction of Brett Feldman, MSPAS, PA-C — an internationally recognized expert on Street Medicine — our program offers services that address the circumstances that undermine the mental, physical and emotional well-being of our city’s homeless.

Visit the Street Medicine website to learn more.