Streetside support

Five years ago a small group of employees (health professionals and others) from Saint Joseph's Hospital, Atlanta, volunteered to prepare a meal for the homeless at one of the city's shelters. The experience led to a group decision to volunteer time to provide basic healthcare to the homeless. This soon led to the hospital-based Mercy Mobile Health Project, which, with community involvement, eventually became the Atlanta Community Health Program for the Homeless. Although the Saint Joseph's Mercy Care Corporation sponsors the program, a number of public and private agencies and professional groups are involved. All strive to expand efforts to address the problems of the homeless, to break the cycle of homelessness, and to provide continuing healthcare services where necessary. The number of clinic sites has more than doubled, while patient encounters have quadrupled.