PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT VHP STREET MEDICINE
Founded on the idea that everybody matters, VHP Street Medicine delivers primary and urgent health care to those experiencing homelessness in the Lehigh Valley. The team utilizes a holistic patient-led approach to not only provide high-quality health care but also address barriers to access by going to the people. The aim is to offer care in terms acceptable to patients in the location of their choice whether that be in a homeless shelter, soup kitchen, on the streets, under bridges, or in the woods. Patients are offered numerous services and links to community partners – tele-psychiatry, mail services, care coordination, survival support, connection to housing services and grant-funded medical respite. VHP’s Street Medicine Respite program addresses the critical need for medical respite care for people experiencing homelessness, who face unique and compound challenges when recovering from illness or injury. Without a safe and stable environment to heal, these individuals often experience extended hospital stays, increased risk of readmission, and are frequently discharged back into unsafe or unstable living conditions, which hinders their recovery and perpetuates the cycle of homelessness and poor health. VHP Street Medicine cared for 7 medical respite patients for reasons such as cardiac catheterization, aortic valve replacement, wound care, and access to breast cancer treatment. Medical respite care not only saves cost to the health care system but also provides a bridge between hospital care and permanent housing by offering not only a safe place to recuperate but also access to medical and supportive services. By meeting these foundational needs, individuals are put in a better mental and physical space to address critical health issues such as surgery or cancer treatment, and to begin planning for their future.
TOTAL ENCOUNTERS 4,245
UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS SERVED 634
VALLEY HEALTH PARTNERS • IMPACT REPORT 2024-2025
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