Street Medicine

This is a longitudinal experience that will encompass all 3 years where each of our residents will play a major role in caring for our homeless population. Often times the patients our street medicine team cares for are people who are unable or unwilling to see providers in the clinic for various different reasons. To help reach these patients, we have a dedicated street medicine team that our residents will work closely with to provide care for these patients in a compassionate and non-threatening way. Please review our street medicine website for more information about this program.

The "Street Medicine Active Resident Training" (SMART) track was created in the Spring of 2022 to allow interested residents an opportunity to engage in longitudinal care for some of our community’s most vulnerable populations. One resident from each class is selected by a panel of community members to participate in the track. Chosen residents attend clinic at least once per month at a syringe exchange, the shelter, or on the street. These clinics are in collaboration with community partners (Redwood Community Services and MCAVHN Care and Prevention Network) and the Adventist Health Compass Team to provide low barrier access to medications for opioid use disorder, hepatitis C treatment, and primary care services. Our collaborators assist us with providing housing navigation, care coordination, and behavioral health services. We encourage participants in the track to choose a community medicine project related to their street medicine work to complete over the course of their residency.

The SMART track encourages resident physicians to become competent in harm reduction focused treatments for substance use disorders and to provide compassionate medical services to people who may otherwise experience significant barriers to treatment in conventional medical settings. Our work is constantly evolving, and we value residents who enjoy the process of finding creative solutions to problems in a place with few resources.

As far as we are aware, our program offers the only rural street medicine training track in the country.