SPRINGFIELD — A new street medicine initiative from SIU Medicine has deployed a four-person team in Springfield to provide direct health care to people experiencing homelessness and to connect them with broader services.
Meeting patients where they are
The program is built around the principle of lowering barriers to care by bringing medical services to encampments, shelters and other locations where people without stable housing can be found. The team includes Kami Harless, M.D., who helped launch the effort after participating in a similar program in Seattle; a licensed practical nurse, LaDorise Ramsey; a community health worker; and a program coordinator. Second-year medical residents with the SIU School of Medicine will also take part as part of their training.
Providers said the model is intentionally patient-driven, with clinicians aligning care around individuals’ immediate needs and priorities rather than imposing a predetermined agenda.
“The number one thing is that it’s patient-driven. Their priorities are our priorities, and as you build trust with folks, you can begin to have some of those more nuanced conversations about substance use, about mental health, about chronic diseases,” said the program’s physician leader.
Small team, measurable impact
Although the outreach effort is early in its development, SIU staff reported at least one notable success: a long-unsheltered person who, with assistance from the team, will be housed for the first time. The licensed practical nurse described how relationship-building and coordination beyond strictly medical care contributed to that outcome.
“There is a person who has been on the street a long time, and (the day after this interview) they will be housed for the first time ever,” Ramsey said. “They’ve got a lot of challenges – substance abuse and just a lot of stuff, and, for the first time, they will be able to put a key in the door and we – this team – played a role in that as well. Not just with the medical side of it. It was the relationships, and they’re proud to come tell us, I’ve got my key, and you guys are more than welcome to come out and see my place.”
Program leaders said that, while the team is currently limited in its days of operation, the goal is to expand coverage to more days of the week as resources and demand allow.
Team composition and roles
The outreach unit combines clinical care with community-based support and training. The structure as described by SIU Medicine is:
- Physician — leads clinical decision-making and program design (Kami Harless, M.D.).
- Licensed practical nurse — provides hands-on nursing care and care coordination (LaDorise Ramsey).
- Community health worker — links patients to social services and community resources.
- Coordinator — handles logistics, scheduling and program operations.
- Medical residents — second-year residents participate as part of training through the SIU School of Medicine.
| Team member | Role |
|---|---|
| Kami Harless, M.D. | Physician and program lead |
| LaDorise Ramsey | Licensed practical nurse |
| Unnamed | Community health worker |
| Unnamed | Coordinator |
| Second-year residents | Clinical trainees from SIU School of Medicine |
Local context and implications
Health experts note that unsheltered homelessness is associated with high rates of chronic illness, untreated infections, behavioral health needs and substance use disorders. By bringing services directly to people living on the street, the SIU Medicine team aims to reduce emergency room visits, improve chronic disease management and create pathways to housing and long-term care.
Program leaders framed their work as early-stage and scalable: initial operations are modest in scope, but they are collecting experiences and outcomes to support potential expansion. The inclusion of medical residents also makes the program a training opportunity, exposing future physicians to the realities of caring for patients with complex social and medical needs.
For Springfield, the initiative represents a direct local response to gaps in access to primary care and coordination for people experiencing homelessness. City agencies and community providers that serve this population could see an immediate benefit if outreach leads to fewer avoidable health crises, increased housing placements and stronger links between clinical and social services.
SIU Medicine officials said they plan to continue the outreach and work toward offering services on more days as staffing and funding permit.
