SIU School of Medicine has launched a new Street Medicine Program to serve the homeless in Springfield. The program began in June.
Medical teams travel in a branded van each Tuesday to outdoor living spaces. Mornings are dedicated to outreach while follow-up for 5 to 10 patients takes place in the afternoons.
Second-year family medicine residents take month-long rotations in the program with 30 Springfield-based residents expected to participate during the next three years.
Funding for the new five-year educational initiative is through a federal grant. SIU Medicine plans to expand the program to Quincy in 2028 and Carbondale in 2029.