The program brings medical care workers directly to folks experiencing homelessness

The street medicine program is being organized by the county’s provider of publicly funded health coverage, CalOptima Health, in partnership with the city of Garden Grove and Healthcare in Action, a medical group that provides health care and other services to unhoused individuals. Through a $4 million, two-year contract, Healthcare in Action will deliver care to up to 200 CalOptima members using a medical van to reach those living in parks, under freeways and elsewhere on the streets.

"We feel very strongly about, when it comes to street medicine, unlike the traditional health care system, it’s rapport first, and then care second,” she said. “If you can’t build rapport with those that you’re serving, you won’t be able to provide the care. So, you have to have folks on your team who know what it feels like to be unhoused. Lived experience is very important."

Challenges the teams will face include locating their patients and providing medications, because most pharmacies require a form of identification, according to Kaska.

"Some of the barriers that we’ve tried to avoid still exist within other areas, and we try our very best to navigate those waters and provide the care despite the barrier," he said. "Some of our teammates, for instance, will go and will pick up the medication for the patient and deliver it back to them, which is time intensive, but it matters."