MACH OneHealth Starts Street Medicine Program in Madison, WI.

The goal of MACH OneHealth’s Street Health Teams is to go to the people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity in the Madison Area and offer a limited scope of free direct medical service and health care coordination.

Since March of 2018, our teams have provided weekly street medicine services during walking rounds in downtown Madison on Thursday evenings 5-8 pm November-March, 6-9 pm April-October.  

Our current route covers Capitol Square and the State Street Corridor. Eventually, we hope to increase our coverage to include additional times and locations, including remote campsites.  

Teams include a medical provider (physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant), a nurse, a mental health professional, and a team manager.  We wear green glowing lights to be readily identified from a distance and are often accompanied by experienced outreach workers from partner organizations such as Friends of the State Street Family, Operation Welcome Home, Porchlight, and Briarpatch Youth Services.

We connect with people on our rounds, say hello, check on their well-being, and offer a limited scope of direct clinical care as well as assistance in addressing barriers to traditional health services.  

We generally carry some health/hygiene items such as clean socks for those who indicate a need.  

Housing is healthcare, so our teams work to promote connections with social service agencies so that people can access housing and other critical services.

Our values include:  

-Respect for people’s privacy, choices, and how they move in the world.
-A non-judgmental stance.
-Trauma-informed care.

News about the Street Medicine Program.

MACH OneHealth was awarded a prestigious Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment grant to develop a street medicine outreach program.

Never heard of street medicine? Click here for more about it.