Just off the Long Island Expressway, Northwell Health’s Street Medicine team begins its day by visiting a patient living in her car. This initiative is part of a year-old collaboration between Northwell Health and the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless, aimed at delivering medical care directly to homeless individuals across Nassau and Suffolk counties.
The Street Medicine program focuses on reaching people who are often overlooked, including those residing in parking lots or other public spaces. The program not only provides immediate healthcare but also helps connect patients to stable housing and employment opportunities. Over 15 months, Northwell’s team has served 84 unique patients through 205 encounters, traveling over 2,800 miles across 49 communities from Hempstead to Wading River.
Mary Mahoney, NP, vice president of Emergency Management and Clinical Preparedness at Northwell and lead clinician for the Street Medicine program, said: “All of our patients come through the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless, which canvasses the region and identifies people with health care needs. We go wherever the need is. These open parking lots tend to be more dangerous than other places, more transient.”
During visits, nurse practitioners conduct health assessments while another nurse updates electronic medical records and verifies medications. The team has provided prescriptions for medication and bloodwork as well as Cologuard tests. Eleven hospitalizations have resulted from their interventions.
Debbie Salas-Lopez, MD, executive vice president of the Institute for Community Health and Wellness at Northwell explained: “This is central to Northwell’s mission to identify areas where we can raise the level of care for underserved populations. People having a tough time of it should not be shut out from access to even the most basic health needs. Street Medicine provides that helping hand and lends an ear. Being heard can be therapeutic. Getting help can be life-changing.”
Beyond medical support, housing remains a primary goal for many participants in the program. Working alongside local organizations, Northwell has helped 11 patients secure permanent housing so far; some have received additional support with job placement or resume building.
To qualify for housing assistance in Nassau or Suffolk counties, clients must complete physicals or psychiatric evaluations as needed and submit documentation such as disability papers when appropriate—a process that Northwell’s team has facilitated for 35 clients.
One recent beneficiary is Richard Seibert of Hempstead who stated: “Housing will help me tremendously,” adding that once he settles in he plans to seek employment and work towards obtaining a car.
The ongoing partnership between Northwell Health and community groups addresses rising homelessness on Long Island—an issue fueled by increasing costs of living and limited affordable housing options—and seeks long-term solutions by combining healthcare outreach with pathways toward stability.
