Medical students address health care needs of Miami’s homeless

A new student-led initiative at FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine delivers compassionate care to Miami's homeless population. FIU’s Houseless Outreach for Medical Equity (FIU HOME) program targets Miami’s most vulnerable residents while teaching medical students to provide critical care in resource-limited settings.

Sstudent Ashley Newsholme, Rachel Siretskiy and Nicole Moscoso came up with the idea for FIU HOME while participating in the college's Green Family Foundation Neighborhood Health Education Learning Program (NeighborhoodHELP). They discovered that individuals without stable housing were ineligible for services through the latter program. Motivated to bridge this gap, they partnered with Interim Associate Dean for Student Affairs Dr. Sarah Stumbar and Assistant Professor Dr. Lizzeth Alarcon to create FIU HOME, transforming their vision into a powerful hands-on service-learning opportunity.

"Our goal is to meet houseless patients where they are, to provide care that is free of stigma or judgment. At the same time, we aim to expose students to non-traditional health care settings, allowing them to cultivate creativity and resourcefulness—skills they can carry into any health care environment," Siretskiy said.

FIU HOME conducts bimonthly street runs to provide immediate care, including wound care, vital sign checks and medication distribution. The students also pass out donations of supplies like water and hygiene products. Through a partnership with Camillus Health Concern, the program connects patients requiring ongoing services to community resources that can help with substance-use support, social services and more.

"Students truly embrace the principles of holistic, patient-centered care when working with populations experiencing homelessness," said Dr. Chandra Jennings of Camillus Health Concern, who serves as the street medicine instructor for FIU HOME. "They are challenged to go beyond textbook diagnoses and consider how their patients will manage the treatments prescribed."

Jennings describes the partnership as a powerful combination of public health, resource development and community service. She envisions FIU HOME growing into a lasting learning opportunity for medical trainees at all levels and a key part of Miami's homeless services network.

The first cohort of student volunteers joined Jennings for street runs in September. "We're not just developing hands-on clinical and counseling skills, but also building meaningful connections with underserved individuals in the community, reinforcing the core values of empathy and service in medicine," said third-year student Elizabeth Burgees.

Prompting curriculum enhancements

The creation of FIU HOME has inspired a curriculum review to enhance medical education related to the needs of the homeless and strategies for managing their health care. This has led to various updates including revisions to the Community Engaged Physician course to address housing as a social determinant of health and training students in administering naloxone—a medication that quickly reverses opioid overdose.

Faculty and students leading the review plan to share the curriculum updates, outcomes and the FIU HOME experience at the 2025 Society of Teachers of Family Medicine's Medical Student Education Conference in January.