UNM Health Sciences and Health System. The University of New Mexico Foundation.
(505) 272-2147Mobile Medical Team Event Flyer
The UNM School of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine is excited to announce the Center for Inclusive Health, an innovative, compassionate, and patient-centered care delivery model for folks experiencing homelessness or who are precariously housed in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, Street Medicine.
The interprofessional and interdisciplinary team of clinicians from UNM Health “meets the patients where they are” on the street, in shelters, or in temporary housing to offer high-quality acute, chronic, and preventive medical and mental health care.
The Team includes physicians, nurses, ambulatory practice professionals (physician assistants and nurse practitioners) and other clinicians who have expertise in complex patient care. Street Medicine collaborates with multiple community partners including Albuquerque Community Safety, ABQ StreetConnect/Heading Home, the City of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, Albuquerque Police Department, and others to improve patient health, and reduce emergency room visits, inpatient hospital stays, and crisis contacts.
Educational Opportunities will be available to all levels of learners from all health-profession programs at the UNM Health Science Center when the program is more established.
In the Fall of 2022, a generous donation was made to bring the Street Medicine Institute to UNM Health to work closely with the teams and leadership to build a solid foundation to develop best practices for patient-centered care.
Your gift will help the Center for Inclusive Health and the Street Medicine Team lead our community in addressing the vast social and medical disparities affecting the unsheltered in Albuquerque and across New Mexico and to provide important educational experiences to our learners.
The Street Medicine Team is in constant need of over-the-counter medications, medical supplies for wound care, testing, and treatment, and PPE to protect our providers in the field.
Our goal is to build a fully staffed service line that meets people where they are and provides the care they need. We are currently working with Street Medicine International to develop the plan for this expansion. Additional funds are needed to sustainably implement the plan.
Street Medicine at the UNM School of Medicine is more than treatment for our unhoused patients, it is also an educational opportunity for students, residents, and fellows. To do it correctly, we need to build a curriculum to support our learners in this important work. This medical education opportunity will make UNM School of Medicine a draw for health profession students and medical residents.
Street Medicine providers must be mobile to meet folks where they are. A pick-up truck that seats six equipped with appropriate storage, refrigeration, mobile device charging, a shade structure, and seating for patients and providers will allow the team to be where they need to be without using their personal vehicles.
Funds for provider professional development, including travel to conferences, seminar attendance, and other educational opportunities. Enhances the Street Medicine Team’s ability to recruit and retain top-notch providers.