Family Medicine Residency Program launches Street Medicine Training rotation
Family Medicine Residency Program launches Street Medicine Training rotation
The UICOMR Family Medicine Residency Program launched its clinical rotations for the Street Medicine Training Program on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. The rotation includes inpatient care, street runs in Rockford and rural communities and care for the unhoused at partner locations.
“This was an incredible experience to be able to provide care to patients and our local neighbors on the streets where they reside,” Chief Resident Reilly Wojciehowski, MD, says. “They all seemed incredibly grateful and were eager to have students and physicians caring for them and providing resources. I was even able to connect a patient with an appointment at (Mile Square Health Center-L.P. Johnson Rockford) in real time, which perfectly aligns with our mission. I am excited to continue this partnership and am very proud of the medical students for their compassionate care and dedication.”
Street medicine is a field that focuses on increasing access to compassionate care for unhoused and underserved populations outside of a hospital or clinic setting and reducing social determinants of health that contribute to poor health outcomes. The project also includes elective experiences for other primary care residents and medical students, all focused on delivering empathetic, patient-centered care.
The first street run took place on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, and included TJ Webb, MD, a teaching assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and director of the Doctoring and Clinical Skills Course at UICOMR, and Wojciehowski, along with medical students from the Street Medicine Interest Group. The team visited unhoused members of the community, distributing gloves, hand warmers, socks and other essential items, and provided medical care as needed.
“Many people who are unhoused don’t access care in a clinic on a regular basis due to lack of access or transportation, or simply because they don’t feel safe or welcome in medical spaces,” Dr. Webb says. “This program allows us to meet some of our most marginalized neighbors where they are to provide truly patient-centered medical care. I am so grateful for the reception we have received from these patients, and for the foundation of trust that has already been built through the efforts of our community partners and student volunteers.”
This new endeavor is made possible by a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The grant is a collaboration between the Departments of Family and Community Medicine at Rockford and Chicago. Dr. Rhonda Verzal and Dr. James Swakow are the principal investigators on this grant.