Primary Care Training and Enhancement -- Residency Training in Street Medicine - Northwell Health, in collaboration with the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine and the Office of Community Wellness and Population Health, proposes a comprehensive street medicine training rotation for nearly 700 resident physicians in family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics across 13 programs in the New York metropolitan area. This initiative addresses critical gaps in medical training by preparing clinicians to deliver care to individuals experiencing homelessness, emphasizing practical and compassionate care outside traditional clinical environments. The program will leverage Northwell Health’s newly established Street Medicine clinical program, which operates mobile outreach and fixed-site clinics across New York City, Westchester County, and Long Island. This diverse region encompasses urban, suburban, and rural communities with distinct challenges in healthcare access and affordability. Local data demonstrates the high prevalence of chronic health conditions, mental illness, substance use disorders, and food insecurity among individuals experiencing homelessness. The project will be anchored at Phelps Hospital, which serves as the home site for this initiative. Located between New York City and upstate New York, Phelps Hospital presents a unique position between urban and semi-rural exposure. This program has deep ties to the local community, with resident physicians actively engaged at a local federally qualified health center and in partnerships with area organizations focused on food security, substance use treatment, and primary care. Phelps will serve as a bridge between Northwell Health’s Street Medicine program and the broader residency network, facilitating regional coordination and leadership for the project. The 8-week rotation integrates academic coursework, field-based clinical experiences, and hands-on procedural training. Participants will engage in immersive learning, including mobile outreach through street rounds, clinical care at shelter-based clinics, and participation in mobile health events. The curriculum emphasizes essential skills such as wound care, point-of-care ultrasound, medication management in limited-resource settings, harm reduction, and de-escalation techniques. Trainees will also explore legal and ethical considerations related to care delivery outside of conventional settings. The initiative will include interdisciplinary collaboration, fostering connections with outreach teams, behavioral health specialists, legal experts, and local organizations. A key component is the integration of lived-experience perspectives, enriching trainees’ understanding of the social dynamics that influence patient care. This rotation offers a unique opportunity to expand the primary care workforce’s capacity to serve patients in non-traditional settings and complements Northwell Health’s broader mission to provide high-quality care to individuals across varied geographic and social landscapes.
