Whatcom Street Medicine

The Whatcom County Street Medicine team was established in November 2022 as a response to the need for accessible healthcare among those experiencing homelessness in Whatcom County. The Street Medicine team brings basic first aid, wound care, and consultation to people in the streets, alleys, and homeless camps. Street medicine goes beyond physical treatment and often involves building relationships through a trauma informed approach, active listening and using harm reduction principles.

The volunteer doctors and nurses of Whatcom Street Medicine are members of the Medical Reserve Corps, which is sponsored by Whatcom County Emergency Medical Services Administration.

Why Street Medicine?

The population of individuals without shelter in Whatcom County is on the rise. Homeless people find significant barriers to using conventional healthcare providers including the requirement for identification and insurance, the lack of a secure place to store belongings while inside a healthcare facility, the uncertainty, long wait times, and lack of respect often shown to homeless people. The Street Medicine Team delivers treatment without these barriers and has opportunity to intervene before hospitalization or Emergency Medical Services (EMS) would have been required. In turn, this intervention reduces the strain placed on the community's health care system. The empathy-based practice of the Street Medicine Team fosters opportunities for reengagement with the healthcare system especially for those who have avoided care due to a traumatizing experience with a provider in the past.

Statistics for Whatcom Street Medicine

• 10 volunteers have worked 75 shifts, putting in 611 hours.
• Over 408 medical encounters with over 271 unique individuals.
• 62% seen on the streets, 30% in camps, and 9% at homeless facilities.
• 64% male, 36% female
• 46% legs and feet, 20% arms and hands, 18% face and head, 7% systemic, 9% other Team actions:
  1. 58% Consultation - evaluation and advice, chronic conditions, post op, medications, vital signs, need for referral(s)
  2. 15% First aid - basic care and advice for minor injuries, splinters, thorns, itching, fungus
  3. 24% Wound and skin care - assess, clean and dress wounds
  4. 2% Outreach only