LOS ANGELES, CA (November 8, 2024)—MLK Community Healthcare (MLKCH) is proud to announce a $400,000 gift from the UniHealth Foundation to expand the work of its Street Medicine Department. This funding will support a nurse practitioner to expand care and ensure comprehensive services provided by the street medicine team, which includes physicians, nurses, social workers, and outreach coordinators.
MLKCH’s Street Medicine Department is the first of its kind in the state of California. Certified in 2022, MLKCH Street Medicine provides ongoing primary care to unhoused patients within their own environment, establishing trust, stabilizing health, and building relationships that result in long-term health and life improvement for these patients.
“The addition of a nurse practitioner to our street medicine team allows us to ensure a comprehensive range of services to the most vulnerable in our community,” said Dyan Sublett, President of the MLK Community Health Foundation. “With UniHealth’s support, we are able to offer our patients a real chance to achieve long-term health and stability.”
MLKCH’s Street Medicine team has already seen marked success, with a 39% decrease in 30-day rehospitalization rates since the department’s inception. By expanding the team with a nurse practitioner, MLKCH aims to also decrease behavioral health visits to the emergency department. The full range of services MLKCH Street Medicine can now provide, from physical and mental health to social services that offer secure housing, supports MLK Community Healthcare’s vision: improved health for all the members of our community.
“This grant perfectly aligns with all three of our core funding strategies,” said UniHealth Foundation’s President and Chief Operating Officer, Jennifer Vanore, Ph.D. “By supporting MLKCH’s street medicine team, we are addressing the urgent needs of underserved populations, enhancing access to comprehensive, community-based care, and investing in a workforce equipped to meet the evolving challenges of healthcare. It’s a partnership that advances health equity, and we’re proud to be supporting.”
To learn more about MLKCH’s Street Medicine Program, visit mlkch.org/streetmedicine.