Grant to fund training in street medicine for Rockford and Chicago resident physicians
Grant to fund training in street medicine for Rockford and Chicago resident physicians
The University of Illinois College of Medicine will train family medicine residents to deliver tailored care to unhoused and underserved populations in low-resource, non-traditional settings in Rockford, rural northern Illinois and Chicago, thanks to a $2.5 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford Department of Family and Community Medicine, in collaboration with its counterpart in Chicago, will receive this federal funding for its Primary Care Training and Enhancement-Residency Training in Street Medicine Project over five years. During that period, the project aims to train 34 family medicine residents per year in comprehensive street medicine.
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, as well as reducing social determinants of health that contribute to poor health outcomes. The project will also include elective experiences for other primary care residents and medical students, all focused on delivering empathetic, patient-centered care.
Rhonda Verzal, MD, FAAFP, an associate professor and director of the UICOMR Family Medicine Residency Program, is the project director. James Swakow, MD, an assistant professor and assistant residency program director in the UICOMC Department of Family and Community Medicine, will oversee implementation of the project in Chicago.
“We are grateful for this funding opportunity and excited about the education and training this grant will create for our residents as well as its impact on our communities,” says Verzal. “It allows our residents and faculty the privilege to meet our patients where they are as we care for and serve the unhoused in our communities.”
Other Rockford project leaders include TJ Webb, MD; Aarohi Munshi, MD; Molly Perri, MD; and Manu Khare, PhD. Stephan Koruba, APRN; Thomas Esposito, MD; and Sara Beeler, PhD, are part of the Chicago project leadership.
The project will include partnerships with multiple organizations, including community-based and faith-based groups, as well as medical-legal collaborations, to address the complex needs of the homeless population.