“小任务累加”

Volunteers with the student-led Street Medicine Oakland at OUWB recently traded backpacks of medical supplies for brooms, 耙子, and garbage bags to help a local community in a whole new way.

八月和九月, Street Medicine Oakland held three clean-up events in Pontiac neighborhoods and parks.

Kaitlin Pataroque is a second-year OUWB medical student and part of the Street Medicine Oakland leadership team. She says the clean-up efforts are in addition to the program’s regular outreach aimed at helping individuals who are homeless and need medical care.

During each clean-up, more than 60 student volunteers donated their time and efforts.

“我们必须承认第一年的成绩 (2025届) because pretty much all of the volunteers were first-year students,” says Pataroque.

“We thought the first clean-up day would have the largest turnout because they wouldn’t be as busy with studies, but then they just kept coming back and bringing friends, 这真的很酷.”

通过定义, the concept of street medicine is “a collaboration of health and social services that address the unique needs and circumstances of the unsheltered homeless.”

The Street Medicine program at OUWB is the first of its kind in Oakland County and launched in late 2019. 俄勒冈州立大学校友莱西·兰斯基(Lexie Ranski).D.托里·德瑞兹加(Tori Drzyzga).D., worked for several years to make it happen, under the guidance of 杰森沃瑟曼, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Foundational Medical Studies. The Gary Burnstein 社区 Clinic serves as the home base for the program.

去年9月, 奥克兰街头医疗公司收到了57美元的罚款,从DMC基金会获得了000美元的资助, which is affiliated with the 社区 Foundation of Southeast Michigan.

本月初, the group announced via 脸谱网 it has changed its name to “Street Medicine Oakland” from “Street Medicine Pontiac” to reflect expanded services. 

自启动, the program has consistently worked to bridge the gap between community members who are homeless and the health care they need. That includes providing basic medical treatment and advice (under the guidance of volunteer physicians) to individuals at the Hope Center and others who are homeless.

Pataroque says the clean-up days are consistent with the overall mission of Street Medicine Oakland.

“During the clean-ups we saw some of the homeless people who we regularly see in their parks and they asked us why we are doing this,’”帕塔罗克说. “We told them we wanted to help them have a dignified place to live and that we’re proud to serve them and proud to serve the city and want them to feel the same way.”

Participating volunteers say they get as much out of helping as the community.

“These clean up days have been a reminder that every individual has a unique background,斯凯拉·桑德奎斯特说, a first-year medical student who volunteered all three days.

“It is so important for health care professionals to understand this and meet patients where they are,桑德奎斯特补充道. “Street Medicine at OUWB exemplifies this by going into a community and addressing the communities needs and literally caring for patients wherever they are. I seek to carry this attitude with me throughout my career.”

大卫·豪厄尔, M1, says volunteering for the clean-up days serves as a good reminder to stay focused on people.

“Street Med gives me the opportunity to connect with classmates, 导师, 最重要的是, the people of Pontiac…and it's not a passive connection,豪厄尔说. “Bringing food to individuals experiencing houselessness, or picking up broken glass off of the street both point to a commitment to this community in a way that cannot be accomplished by stepping back.”

M1 Lakshmi Vrittamani says volunteering with Street Medicine Oakland “is such a meaningful way to make community connections and learn what it means to bring health care to extremely disenfranchised populations.”

清理垃圾, 虽然是一个小任务, is a great reminder to our unhoused populations that we care about them and have not forgotten them,维里塔马尼说. “These small tasks add up and really shape how communities view homelessness.”