Northwell Health’s innovative program to bring care to Long Island’s homeless population has been recognized by the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) with its 2025 Community Health Improvement Award.
Northwell’s Street Medicine Program targets homeless encampments throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties, in collaboration with the nonprofit aid organization Long Island Coalition for the Homeless, building trust and providing onsite care for society’s most vulnerable. The pilot, launched in May 2024, has sent teams into 25 communities – from Hempstead to Wading River – to connect with those in need as well as participate in an annual census to identify undomiciled persons.
“We started it with the goal of meeting people where they are,” said Debbie Salas-Lopez, MD, executive vice president of the Institute for Community Health and Wellness at Northwell. “We know that people live in the woods, live on the street, live in cars. How do they get access to health care? How do they get access to the services that they need? The goal of the program is to find the unhoused community, develop trust, develop a relationship with them and then learn about their needs – health care and otherwise.”…