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FRONTDOORS MAGAZINE | 43 BY TOM EVANS Healing on the Streets Street Medicine Phoenix gives medical students a chance to serve the homeless population H omelessness is not an ideal situation in any way, but particularly from a health standpoint. The reason shelter is so important to us all is that it protects us from harm. So what happens when you don’t have that shelter, and when you don’t have the resources to get the kind of treatment to counter whatever ailments pop up? That’s where Street Medicine Phoenix is coming in to help those experiencing homelessness. The Zuckerman College of Public Health coordinates the program, which brings together students and faculty from University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, Mayo Clinic, Midwestern University and Creighton University. It’s described as “a student-driven interprofessional healthcare and social justice team” that goes out directly to the streets to provide medical care and support services to individuals experiencing homelessness where they are — in shelters, encampments or on the street. There are dozens of similar programs across the country, each with its specific focus, whether universities, nonprofits or religious entities drive those. However, in Phoenix, it was started in 2017 by two medical students, Jeffery Hanna and Justin Zein. NEXT DOORS Dr. Robert Fauer, the executive director of Street Medicine Phoenix, says the immediacy of street medicine is important.