The Family Medicine Residency Program at McLaren Flint is the recipient of a generous donation from the A.G. Bishop Charitable Trust to continue its philanthropic Street Medicine program.
An outreach group providing complimentary health care services through regular visits to Flint-based shelters, the $20,000 donation will be used to purchase medical supplies and various clothing and other items to offer the program’s recipients.
“This program and its general mission are a tremendous positive for Flint, and we are incredibly grateful to the Trust for its financial and moral support,” said Dr. Prabhat Pokhrel, physician, McLaren Flint Family Medicine Residency Program faculty, and the program’s founder. “In addition to the primary objective of providing medical care to those who might otherwise not receive it, street medicine builds and establishes a trust with the community by demonstrating that we are true in our determination of ensuing access to health care for everyone in our community.”
Accompanied by a family medicine attending physician, two McLaren Flint family medicine resident physicians and a behavioral health clinical psychology fellow provider venture out into the community in a marked van to provide basic health care advice and needs to Flint’s in-need population.
Services include blood pressure measurements, cholesterol, glucose, and other blood screenings, basic wound care, medication refills if needed, and EKGs if the patient’s symptoms require it. Warm clothes and other garments are provided as needed.
The program originated in 2021 when the Family Medicine Residency Program was seeking to expand the scope and range of its program. Inspired by the national Street Medicine movement, a group drove around Flint actively seeking out people to help.
As the program evolved, a schedule of days and times were set at local shelters for the McLaren Flint team to visit and provide care along with other essentials for those without a home.
“Street medicine and caring for patients in-need not only helps improve health and general wellness, but it also helps our providers develop empathy in their care,” said Dr. Robert Flora, McLaren Health Care Chief Academic Officer. “Providers can gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and barriers many people face when accessing health care — an experience that fosters compassion — and enables them to develop patient-centric approaches for all those they care for.”
The program, which visits the Carriage Town Ministries every Thursday morning and the Center for Hope on Thursday afternoons, was a previous beneficiary of the Fenton-based A. G. Bishop Charitable Trust. In 2022 and 2023, the Trust also provided funds to the Street Medicine initiative, choosing to continue its support for a third consecutive year and a total of $45,000.
Learn more about the services offered at McLaren Flint at mclaren.org/flint.
About McLaren Flint
McLaren Flint is a 378 bed tertiary teaching facility located in Flint, Michigan. McLaren Flint is affiliated with Michigan State University (MSU) College of Human Medicine in its medical and surgical residency programs, including family practice, internal medicine, general surgery, and orthopedic surgery. McLaren Flint also maintains fellowship programs in clinical health psychology, vascular surgery, minimally invasive surgery and cardiology in partnership with MSU. The hospital is certified as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, a Gold Plus Comprehensive Stroke Center (Joint Commission), and a BCBSM Blue Distinction Center+ for Spine Surgery, Cardiac Care and OB services. Cancer accreditations include the American College of Radiology Radiation Oncology Practice Accreditation and the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative, American Society of Clinical Oncology. Learn more at mclaren.org/flint.
About McLaren Health Care
McLaren Health Care, headquartered in Grand Blanc, Michigan, is a $7.3 billion, fully integrated health care delivery system committed to quality, evidence-based patient care and cost efficiency. The McLaren system includes 13 hospitals in Michigan, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, a 640-member employed primary and specialty care physician network, commercial and Medicaid HMOs covering more than 732,838 lives in Michigan and Indiana, home health, infusion and hospice providers, pharmacy services, a clinical laboratory network and a wholly owned medical malpractice insurance company. McLaren operates Michigan’s largest network of cancer centers and providers, anchored by the Karmanos Cancer Institute, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. McLaren has 28,000 full-, part-time and contracted employees and more than 113,000 network providers throughout Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Learn more at mclaren.org.