Stanford Department of Medicine (Grand Rounds)

MedStory: Bringing Healthcare to the Streets

The video titled "MedStory: Bringing Healthcare to the Streets" showcases a two‑week, community‑based street‑medicine rotation where residents deliver care directly to people experiencing homelessness. Participants report that traditional hospital care often fails these patients because they lack food, shelter, and means to store medication. The rotation forces residents to devise care plans that consider lack of refrigeration, transportation, and stable housing, resulting in higher medication adherence and transitions to permanent housing. A resident recounts treating a polio patient whose meds were stolen, providing eye‑care referral and supplies, while another describes launching bi‑monthly health workshops on diabetes and hypertension at a local shelter. The speaker emphasizes that “we can’t separate health from food, housing, and safety.” The program demonstrates that modest, well‑coordinated outreach can close gaps in the safety‑net, equipping future physicians with skills to address social determinants of health and potentially reducing readmissions and long‑term costs.