St. Luke’s says grant could ‘expand care to medically underserved’ Schuylkill communities
BETHLEHEM – A federal grant could allow a Lehigh Valley-based healthcare provider to expand care to our area.
St. Luke’s University Health Network says they received a $1.9 Million 5-year grant to develop a Street Medicine Academic Tract to expand care for the medically underserved populations of rural Carbon and Schuylkill counties.
“Meeting patients where they are takes special training and skills to help reduce barriers to healthcare,” said Danielle Godfrey, St. Luke’s Manager for Graduate Medical Education (GME) Rural Programs. “Our rural family medicine residents will learn how to best provide primary and preventative care in places like rural shelters, food pantries, in mobile outreach units and in other community settings that are often underserved.”
“In these counties, there’s an under-appreciated need and there are more and more individuals experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity,” she added.
Carbon (Rural) Family Medicine Residency program director Dr. Thomas McGinley and associate program director Dr. Greg Dobash pursued the grant after identifying the need for expanded street medicine in Carbon and Schuylkill counties. About 100 organizations applied for the grant. St. Luke’s was one of 24 to receive funding.
The grant, St. Luke’s says, will help enhance rural family medicine residency training, equipping residents to deliver compassionate, high-quality care to individuals facing homelessness and opioid addiction.
St. Lukes’s Carbon (Rural) Family Medicine Residency program already features some street-medicine training, but the grant will allow it to develop a full Street Medicine Academic Tract. Residents will participate in structured clinical rotations that include telemedicine plus working in shelters and mobile-outreach units. They will also receive expanded behavioral health and addiction medicine training.
About Author
