Brian Felice, MD
Director of community engagement
OUWB-BH Clinical liaison for UGME Community Service Activities
Community Engagement
Street Medicine Oakland
Street Medicine Oakland is a collaboration between the Royal Oak emergency department and OUWB School of Medicine that aims to bring medical care to the underserved and homeless population in Oakland County. Since 2019, attending emergency physicians from both Royal Oak and Troy have been volunteering and supervising medical students on a weekly basis both in the HOPE Shelter in Pontiac and directly on the streets of Pontiac and Royal Oak. By serving in this capacity, we have been able to bridge the healthcare gap and help under-resourced patients navigate the healthcare system and become connected with other community partners to continue care.
Beginning in January of 2021, in conjunction with our healthcare disparities longitudinal curriculum we began to include resident physician volunteers with the HOPE shelter outreach twice monthly. During this volunteer activity resident physicians supervise medical students and care for patients that are staying at the HOPE shelter in a clinic-based format. This gives our emergency medicine residents the opportunity to recognize the barriers of care that our patients face and provide free medical care outside the confines of the hospital.
In addition to caring for patients staying at the HOPE shelter, we also provide outreach directly to the homeless population living on the streets of Pontiac and Royal Oak twice monthly. By bringing food, toiletries, clothes, diagnostic tools, and medications directly to the streets where the homeless are living, we can remove several barriers to care for our most vulnerable population. Resident and attending physicians serve alongside medical students, counsel patients, and provide care that they would otherwise be unable to access easily.
Volunteering
Two of our attendings, Dr. Brian Felice and Dr. Laura Ortiz, volunteer with OUWB Street Medicine Pontiac. This organization, started by medical students, aims to bridge the gap between the homeless members of our community and healthcare providers.
“We volunteer on a weekly basis with a group of OUWB medical students to serve the community. Every other week we spend an evening at the Hope Shelter in Pontiac seeing patients in a clinic basis, listening to their concerns, treating what we can and helping them navigate the healthcare system and get connected to other resources. The alternating weeks we are on the streets of Pontiac looking for those that live on the streets, offering medical care, support and resources as we can.”
For those residents that desire more in-depth exposure we have created a one-month elective that provides increased opportunities to serve with our community partners and with the homeless population of Oakland County. Residents have been able to develop additional resources for the patients in our emergency department as well as take part in scholarly activity projects related to healthcare disparities.
Additional service opportunities
- Avondale High School project – working with high school students to raise awareness of homelessness in the community, how this affects personal health/wellness, and developing tangible ways that we can give back to our local community
- Pontiac street clean ups – beautification projects for the city of Pontiac
- Baldwin Center Health Fair – provide healthcare services and oversight to local community members with limited access to health care services
- Detroit Achievement Academy – provide age-based health education to elementary students in Detroit
- CPR training courses for minority populations
Community engagement: resident perspectives
"You gain a lot of insight into the situations your patients in the ER may be dealing with external to an encounter in the hospital when you see them firsthand. It connects you on a much more personal level with patients that may be difficult to connect with for providers, and that ultimately improves your ability to care for them at the bedside."
"Street medicine offered an opportunity that was unique and very beneficial. I was able to learn the importance of connecting with the community and felt my ability to provide care for my patients improve as a result."
"I am incredibly grateful to be part of a program that has given me the opportunity to serve my community outside the boundaries of the emergency department. Through service and outreach, I have met the faces and stories of the greater community, which I am humbled to be a part of. In addition to learning about my community, I continue to be invigorated by the opportunities to empower those I serve through education, literacy and advocacy."
"You gain a lot of insight into the situations your patients in the ER may be dealing with external to an encounter in the hospital when you see them firsthand. It connects you on a much more personal level with patients that may be difficult to connect with for providers, and that ultimately improves your ability to care for them at the bedside."
"Street medicine offered an opportunity that was unique and very beneficial. I was able to learn the importance of connecting with the community and felt my ability to provide care for my patients improve as a result."
"I am incredibly grateful to be part of a program that has given me the opportunity to serve my community outside the boundaries of the emergency department. Through service and outreach, I have met the faces and stories of the greater community, which I am humbled to be a part of. In addition to learning about my community, I continue to be invigorated by the opportunities to empower those I serve through education, literacy and advocacy."
"You gain a lot of insight into the situations your patients in the ER may be dealing with external to an encounter in the hospital when you see them firsthand. It connects you on a much more personal level with patients that may be difficult to connect with for providers, and that ultimately improves your ability to care for them at the bedside."
"Street medicine offered an opportunity that was unique and very beneficial. I was able to learn the importance of connecting with the community and felt my ability to provide care for my patients improve as a result."
"I am incredibly grateful to be part of a program that has given me the opportunity to serve my community outside the boundaries of the emergency department. Through service and outreach, I have met the faces and stories of the greater community, which I am humbled to be a part of. In addition to learning about my community, I continue to be invigorated by the opportunities to empower those I serve through education, literacy and advocacy."
"You gain a lot of insight into the situations your patients in the ER may be dealing with external to an encounter in the hospital when you see them firsthand. It connects you on a much more personal level with patients that may be difficult to connect with for providers, and that ultimately improves your ability to care for them at the bedside."
"Street medicine offered an opportunity that was unique and very beneficial. I was able to learn the importance of connecting with the community and felt my ability to provide care for my patients improve as a result."
"I am incredibly grateful to be part of a program that has given me the opportunity to serve my community outside the boundaries of the emergency department. Through service and outreach, I have met the faces and stories of the greater community, which I am humbled to be a part of. In addition to learning about my community, I continue to be invigorated by the opportunities to empower those I serve through education, literacy and advocacy."
Community engagement: attending perspectives
"Volunteering with Street Medicine has given me a lot. I've been able to meet people and patients that I'd ordinarily not meet, spend more time with them than I can in a busy Emergency Department and understand their life stories and hardships. I've become better connected with our community and know more about the resources there are to offer my patients in the Emergency Department. Additionally, I am able to work closely with medical students of all years, allowing me to mix my passions of education and service."
"Community service and working at Hope has really reminded me of why I wanted to be doctor. The opportunity to be engaged with my community and help the underserved gives me a sense of fulfillment. What I love most about emergency medicine is that I get to take care of patients from all walks of life. I really enjoy working the with students and seeing their enthusiasm and commitment to the homeless population."
"I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience volunteering with Street Medicine. The beauty of what we do as Physicians stems from the ability to truly connect with people from all walks of life. Through volunteerism, specifically with Street Medicine Oakland, I was able to connect with both Medical Students and the guests of the shelter. As an Attending, we have the ability to guide through leadership and humility within acts of community engagement and involvement. That is a powerful source of internal and external fulfillment."
"Volunteering with Street Medicine has given me a lot. I've been able to meet people and patients that I'd ordinarily not meet, spend more time with them than I can in a busy Emergency Department and understand their life stories and hardships. I've become better connected with our community and know more about the resources there are to offer my patients in the Emergency Department. Additionally, I am able to work closely with medical students of all years, allowing me to mix my passions of education and service."
"Community service and working at Hope has really reminded me of why I wanted to be doctor. The opportunity to be engaged with my community and help the underserved gives me a sense of fulfillment. What I love most about emergency medicine is that I get to take care of patients from all walks of life. I really enjoy working the with students and seeing their enthusiasm and commitment to the homeless population."
"I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience volunteering with Street Medicine. The beauty of what we do as Physicians stems from the ability to truly connect with people from all walks of life. Through volunteerism, specifically with Street Medicine Oakland, I was able to connect with both Medical Students and the guests of the shelter. As an Attending, we have the ability to guide through leadership and humility within acts of community engagement and involvement. That is a powerful source of internal and external fulfillment."
"Volunteering with Street Medicine has given me a lot. I've been able to meet people and patients that I'd ordinarily not meet, spend more time with them than I can in a busy Emergency Department and understand their life stories and hardships. I've become better connected with our community and know more about the resources there are to offer my patients in the Emergency Department. Additionally, I am able to work closely with medical students of all years, allowing me to mix my passions of education and service."
"Community service and working at Hope has really reminded me of why I wanted to be doctor. The opportunity to be engaged with my community and help the underserved gives me a sense of fulfillment. What I love most about emergency medicine is that I get to take care of patients from all walks of life. I really enjoy working the with students and seeing their enthusiasm and commitment to the homeless population."
"I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience volunteering with Street Medicine. The beauty of what we do as Physicians stems from the ability to truly connect with people from all walks of life. Through volunteerism, specifically with Street Medicine Oakland, I was able to connect with both Medical Students and the guests of the shelter. As an Attending, we have the ability to guide through leadership and humility within acts of community engagement and involvement. That is a powerful source of internal and external fulfillment."
"Volunteering with Street Medicine has given me a lot. I've been able to meet people and patients that I'd ordinarily not meet, spend more time with them than I can in a busy Emergency Department and understand their life stories and hardships. I've become better connected with our community and know more about the resources there are to offer my patients in the Emergency Department. Additionally, I am able to work closely with medical students of all years, allowing me to mix my passions of education and service."
"Community service and working at Hope has really reminded me of why I wanted to be doctor. The opportunity to be engaged with my community and help the underserved gives me a sense of fulfillment. What I love most about emergency medicine is that I get to take care of patients from all walks of life. I really enjoy working the with students and seeing their enthusiasm and commitment to the homeless population."
"I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience volunteering with Street Medicine. The beauty of what we do as Physicians stems from the ability to truly connect with people from all walks of life. Through volunteerism, specifically with Street Medicine Oakland, I was able to connect with both Medical Students and the guests of the shelter. As an Attending, we have the ability to guide through leadership and humility within acts of community engagement and involvement. That is a powerful source of internal and external fulfillment."
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Royal Oak, MI 48073
Call: 248.898.2001
Email: CHEemresidency@corewellhealth.org
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