Tampa Bay Street Medicine

TAMPA BAY STREET MEDICINE

Tampa Bay Street Medicine is a student-led organization at USF Health dedicated to improving the medical care of the houseless in our community. Our students and volunteer providers use an interdisciplinary approach to the street run program, which offers three arms of services to reach the unsheltered population and occurs weekly as the homeless are neglected even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic and are in dire need of health services.

WHAT YOUR GIFTS WILL DO

All proceeds go directly toward purchasing supplies and equipment for TBSM service events, which bring free healthcare to the houseless in Tampa. A few examples include:

• Over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, anti-histamines, antacids and more
• Wound care supplies such as bandages, gauze, antibacterial ointment and more
• Outreach supplies such as socks, blankets, hygiene supplies, women's health supplies and more

At our weekly street runs, we walk the streets on a set route downtown, providing basic primary care, OTC medications, and wound care using medical supplies carried in backpacks, as well as hygiene supplies (socks, soap, toothbrushes, etc.) to those who need them, directly in their unsheltered settings. Street runs typically serve an average 30 persons per run.

At bi-weekly clinic, we set up outside First Presbyterian Church downtown and in addition to hygiene kits, socks and OTC meds, we offer in-person visits with a physician, prescription medications and vaccinations in partnership with Pioneer Medical Group and Hillsborough County Department of Health. Clinic sees around 25 patients per Saturday morning, twice per month.

Through our mobile unit medical van, we see patients in many locations around Hillsborough County through visits with our nurse practitioner and PMG partnership. We also offer Narcan for laypersons on street runs, in clinic and in our mobile van. We are also excited to roll out the county's first needle exchange program through the mobile clinic in the coming months.

SPREAD THE WORD

We are counting on your help! Make an even bigger impact by sharing your support of this campaign using the social media tools at the top of this page.

The above video includes footage recorded prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.