doctor dressed homeless to treat homeless, fostering a "street medicine" movement [View all]

[Liberal_in_LA]

Pittsburgh (CNN)Dr. Jim Withers used to dress like a homeless person. On purpose.

Two to three nights a week, he rubbed dirt in his hair and muddied up his jeans and shirt before walking the dark streets of Pittsburgh, searching for the very people he was trying to emulate.

Withers wanted to connect with those who had been excluded from his care.

"I was actually really shocked how ill people were on the street. It was like going to a third-world country," he said. "Young, old, people with mental illness, runaway kids, women (who) fled domestic violence, veterans. And they all have their own story."

Homelessness costs the medical system a lot of money. Individuals often end up in emergency rooms, and stay there longer, because their illnesses go untreated and can lead to complications.


For 23 years, Withers has been treating the homeless -- under bridges, in alleys and along riverbanks.

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Today, Withers is also fostering a global "street medicine" movement. His nonprofit, the Street Medicine Institute, supports communities in starting programs of their own. Its network includes dozens of teams in the United States and around the world.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/07/us/cnn-heroes-homeless-doctor-jim-withers/?iid=ob_homepage_NewsAndBuzz_pool&iref=obnetwork