Street Medicine: Bringing Hope to Oklahoma City's Streets

The August sun blazed mercilessly over the intersection of I-40 and Meridian Avenue, where the temperature climbed past 100 degrees before noon. Jason sat in whatever shade he could find, touching the painful sore on his mouth that had been bothering him for days. The 32-year-old had been homeless since he was 19, moving between street corners and temporary shelters, carrying his few possessions in a worn backpack.

When Tim Chandler and Debbi McCullough pulled up in their white and purple van marked "Mobile Medical Street Medicine," Jason wasn't sure what to expect. He had grown wary of promises over the years, but something about their approach felt different.

"Hey, man, when's the last time you had some water?" Tim asked, stepping out of the air-conditioned vehicle with a cold bottle in hand. The simple gesture opened a conversation that would change Jason's relationship with healthcare.

Debbi, a family nurse practitioner who had joined OU Health just months earlier, knelt to Jason's level. "Can I take a look at that sore? I might be able to help. Her voice carried the kind of compassion shaped by years of caring for people who struggle to access traditional healthcare.

This scene plays out three times a week across Oklahoma City as part of an important collaboration between OU Health and the Mental Health Association Oklahoma. The Street Medicine program reaches the city's most vulnerable residents, bringing primary care directly to people living on the streets, in homeless encampments, and in places traditional medical services cannot reach.

A Program Born from Necessity

The collaboration began when leaders from the Mental Health Association Oklahoma approached OU Health leadership with a vision.

“Mental Health Association Oklahoma is committed to helping our neighbors find housing, healing and hope. A critical part of that commitment is ensuring people can access medical care wherever they are,” said Carrie Blumert, CEO of Mental Health Association Oklahoma.

“Our Street Medicine Team delivers compassionate, high-quality care directly to people experiencing homelessness, whether at a day shelter or in a tent under a bridge. By meeting immediate needs and guiding neighbors to long-term stability, this approach improves health outcomes and reduces strain on emergency medical systems."

The organization already operated a mobile van providing outreach services to the homeless community, but they recognized a critical gap in medical care. While their team could offer first aid, snacks, and connections to services, they couldn't provide the comprehensive primary care that this population desperately needed.

"The essence of street medicine is the backpack," said family medicine physician Dr. Kathryn Klump, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor and medicine director in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, who serves as the collaborating physician for the program. "It's care going out to the person, wherever they may be, whether they're in a tent, in an encampment or behind a convenience store by the railroad tracks."

The program launched in earnest when Debbi joined the team as Street Medicine Team Lead in February. A seasoned nurse practitioner with years of experience working with underserved populations, Debbi had found her calling in street medicine through what she describes as "pure coincidence." She had been content in her previous role and ready to coast toward retirement when the opportunity arose.

"My kids said, 'Mom, you should just go for it. Just do it,' which is what I've always told them," she said. "So, I took their advice, and I'm just tickled to be here."

Meeting People Where They Are

The Street Medicine team operates with a philosophy that healthcare should come to the patient, not the other way around. This approach recognizes the complex barriers that prevent homeless individuals from accessing traditional medical care. When someone's entire world fits in a tent and leaving means risking the theft of all their possessions, getting to a doctor's appointment becomes nearly impossible.

Tim Chandler, the program manager who has been working with the homeless community since 1991, understands these challenges intimately. Starting as a licensed practical nurse with little more than "a bag of four by fours and wound cleanser," Tim learned that building trust often begins with addressing basic needs.

"A lot of times you'll go up and pull up on somebody, and they're angry," he said. "They're upset. They haven't had something to eat for a couple days. First thing I'm going to offer them is, 'Hey man, when's the last time you had something to eat?' Because you never know when they ate. Sometimes they're just hangry."

The team's approach goes beyond treating immediate medical concerns. Each patient encounter is designed to be comprehensive, addressing not just physical health but also mental health needs, substance use issues, and social determinants of health. The goal is to establish ongoing relationships that can prevent emergency room visits and help people navigate the healthcare system more effectively.

Real Impact on Real Lives

The program's success becomes evident in stories like Jason's. After Tim and Debbi examined his mouth sore and determined it was likely a bacterial infection that started as a bug bite, they prescribed antibiotics and arranged to deliver the medication directly to him within 48 hours. They also connected him with their case manager to explore housing options and other services.

"You don't want to have to go to the ER," Debbi told Jason that day. "You don't have to. We'll get you fixed up."

This personal attention and follow-up care is designed to heal the fragmented healthcare experiences that many homeless individuals face. Instead of waiting until conditions become serious enough to require emergency intervention, the Street Medicine team catches problems early and provides continuity of care that builds trust and improves outcomes.

The program has already exceeded its initial goal of seeing 100 patients, with the team capable of treating eight to 10 people per day. Each visit involves not just immediate medical care but extensive follow-up work, including researching patient histories, coordinating with other healthcare providers, and ensuring patients receive their medications.

Building Trust Through Consistency

One of the program's most innovative aspects is its commitment to meeting people repeatedly in the same locations. Rather than driving around looking for patients, the team has established regular visits to places like drop-in centers where they can provide consistent care.

"We found that we can see a good number of people for repeat visits if we show up at anticipated locations," Debbi said. "There's a drop-in center on the southeast side of town, and we've been going there weekly for a few months now. We're kind of part of that community now. They know we're coming."

This consistency allows for the kind of ongoing care that can truly impact health outcomes. Some patients now have what Debbi calls "appointments" every week, helping them avoid emergency room visits by addressing health concerns before they become crises.

Building trust isn’t always easy. The team recently met a woman at 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue who is in a wheelchair with an amputation that isn't healing properly. She wouldn't provide any information during their first encounter, but the team plans to return regularly until she feels comfortable accepting help.

"Sometimes we have to talk to somebody multiple times before they'll even let us get their name," Debbi said. "There's a lot of trust-building involved."

A Model for Comprehensive Care

The Street Medicine program operates as part of a larger ecosystem of services for homeless individuals in Oklahoma City. The team receives referrals from outreach workers involved in the city's Key to Home initiative, who survey encampments and identify people needing medical attention. They also work closely with other organizations providing services to the homeless community.

When the team encounters someone who needs more than they can provide in the field, they help facilitate connections to specialty care or inpatient services. Because OU Health's electronic medical records system connects with other providers in the metro area, they can track patient interactions across the healthcare system and identify when their interventions are reducing emergency department visits.

"We've already seen some cases where Debbi has established care with someone in the field, and there's been an observable decrease in their ER visits," Dr. Klump said. "We've also been able to transition patients to care in brick-and-mortar clinics or connect them with specialist follow-up care."

Beyond Medical Care

Beyond traditional healthcare, the team's case manager works with every patient to develop individualized housing plans that respect each person's priorities and circumstances. Some people want to find employment before securing housing. Others have pets they refuse to abandon. The team meets people where they are, both literally and figuratively.

"It is really a very patient-centered process," Debbi said. "What is that patient's priority? If someone doesn't want to find housing until they have a job, and that's their priority, that's where we want to meet them and help them in the pursuit of what is most important to them."

This holistic approach recognizes that health and housing are inextricably linked. By addressing both simultaneously, the program can achieve more sustainable outcomes than traditional healthcare interventions alone.

A Vision for Growth

As the Street Medicine program continues to evolve, its leaders envision expansion that could serve even more of Oklahoma City's homeless population. Debbi estimates that the metro area could benefit from four additional teams to adequately address the scope of need in the community.

The program has already demonstrated its value through measurable impacts on emergency department utilization and patient outcomes. More importantly, it has shown that healthcare can be delivered with dignity and compassion to people who have often been marginalized by traditional systems.

“Homelessness is an extremely complex challenge that no single organization can solve alone. Progress requires innovative, cross-sector partnerships among nonprofits, city leaders, and healthcare providers,” said Blumert. “We are incredibly grateful for our partnership with OU Health and for the exceptional level of care we are able to provide to people who fall through the cracks of the traditional healthcare system."

A Collaboration That Works

The collaboration between OU Health and the Mental Health Association is the kind of innovative community problem-solving that can address complex social challenges. By combining OU Health's medical expertise with the Mental Health Association's deep knowledge of the unhoused community, the program delivers care that neither organization could provide alone.

The program also demonstrates OU Health’s commitment to lifting the health of Oklahomans by being a partner in the community. The Street Medicine Initiative is a key component of OU Health’s Community Health Implementation Plan (CHIP) 2025–2027, a strategic roadmap that addresses five priority areas including access to healthcare, healthy food, education, employment, and housing.

These services, provided by an OU Health provider, include integrated primary care, preventive screenings, prescription access, and harm-risk-reduction resources, helping to close critical gaps in care and reduce avoidable ER visits and hospitalizations.

For Jason, sitting in the scorching heat near I-40 and Meridian, the arrival of the Mobile Medical Street Medicine van was more than just treatment for a sore on his mouth. It represented hope, dignity, and the recognition that everyone deserves access to quality healthcare.

"We see this all the time," Debbi told him as she cleaned his wound. "It'll get better. It's just hard out here."

Those words capture both the challenge and the promise of street medicine. Life on the streets is hard, but with the right approach, the right partnerships, and the right commitment to serving others, even the most vulnerable members of the community can receive the care they need to heal and hope for better days ahead.

The white and purple van continues to make its rounds through Oklahoma City, carrying medical supplies with the fundamental belief that healthcare should reach everyone, no matter where they call home.

OU Health is more than a healthcare provider — we’re Oklahoma’s flagship academic health system, committed to lifting the health of our communities. From programs like Street Medicine to partnerships that address social determinants of health, we invest in solutions that make care accessible for everyone.

Learn more about OU Health in the community.