ETSU Health Family Medicine’s new street medicine program brings care directly to people experiencing homelessness while training resident physicians through new curriculum and hands-on, community-based learning.
The program, “Taking to the STREETs: Building Bridges to Healthcare for the Unhoused,” focuses on training resident physicians to provide care in shelters, community spaces and outdoor encampments instead of requiring those experiencing homelessness to come to a clinic.
Family Medicine was awarded a $2.4 million Health Resources and Services Administration training grant to fully fund the program. The department is one of only 24 grantees nationwide to receive HRSA funding for this training program.
The goal of the grant is to train more physicians to expertly care for people experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity, and other social challenges faced by our region’s population.
“Street medicine is about meeting people where they are, both physically and in their life circumstances,” said Dr. Morgan Buda, an ETSU Health Family Medicine physician and project lead. “This program allows us to extend care beyond clinic walls while helping our residents learn how to care for patients who face real barriers to getting help.”
Family medicine residents will take part in both classroom learning and hands-on care. Inside the classroom, residents will train with interprofessional teams on key areas of care, including primary care, behavioral health, addiction treatment, and helping patients navigate legal and social needs.
Many residents will spend two months caring for patients in the community and learning how to manage common health needs outside a traditional clinic. This approach helps connect medical training with real needs in the region.
The program will start training about 60 residents, with care provided at Johnson City sites like the ETSU Health Downtown Day Center, Frontier Health’s Safe House and local encampments. There are plans to expand to Kingsport and Bristol in the coming years, with the goal of training about 140 residents within five years.
Care teams will include physicians, residents and community partners, with support from clinic pharmacists and social workers. This team approach helps patients connect to the services they need, from medical care to mental health support and other resources.
The program also focuses on the real challenges people face when they do not have stable housing. Managing chronic illness, storing medications or keeping wounds clean can be difficult without safe shelter or basic supplies. Providing this care earlier and in the community helps prevent health issues from becoming emergencies, reducing the need for hospital and emergency room visits.
As the program’s Clinical and Community Liaison, Dr. Opal Frye-Clark will help connect care teams with local partners and patients. Frye-Clark brings years of experience working directly with people experiencing homelessness and building trust within the community.
“This program reflects our commitment to caring for our whole community,” said Dr. Jason Moore, chair of the Department of Family Medicine. “It also helps train physicians to understand the real-life challenges their patients face and how to respond with care and respect. It shows how our academic model brings education and patient care together to make a real difference in our region.”
ETSU Health is working closely with local organizations to strengthen support for people experiencing homelessness. Regular meetings with community partners will help identify gaps in care and find better ways to serve those in need.
The goal is not only to provide care today, but to prepare more physicians to serve in underserved areas in the future.
By bringing care into the community and training physicians in this setting, ETSU Health continues its work to improve access, build trust and support better health outcomes across the region.
To support additional community engagement and service efforts, consider making a gift to this program by visiting: https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/78200/donations/new
For more information about ETSU Health Family Medicine, visit ETSUHealth.org.
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The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provided financial support for this project. The award provided 100% of total costs and totaled $2,439,093. The contents are those of the author. They may not reflect the policies of HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.
With more than 300 health care providers serving at 50 medical facilities across the region, ETSU Health is on the front lines of efforts to improve the health of Northeast Tennessee by offering leading-edge health care in dozens of specialties.
