Primary care training and enhancement -- residency training in street medicine - mendocino county, california has seen a 24% rise in its homeless population since 2023

The Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Health Professionals awarded Ukiah Adventist Hospital $1,000,000 on July 1, 2026 under the Primary Care Training and Enhancement program (CFDA 93.884) to establish residency training in street medicine at the Adventist Health Ukiah Valley Residency Program.

The recipient will develop and implement enhanced curriculum in street medicine, community medicine, addiction medicine, and infectious disease over five years, with particular focus on training resident physicians to serve individuals experiencing homelessness in Mendocino County. Year 1 emphasizes curriculum development and hands-on learning experiences; years 2–3 introduce full implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement; year 4 addresses sustainability planning; and year 5 completes dissemination. The project aims to train 42 resident physicians, expand annual street medicine participation among residents from 12 days to 260 days, and provide care to over 1,900 patients experiencing homelessness. The residency program will leverage community partnerships and other institutions to connect residents to additional resources and will share the project model for potential replication across the Adventist Health System and other organizations.

Performance occurs in Ukiah, California 95482 through June 30, 2031. This is a Project Grant, assistance type used by HRSA for fixed five-year award periods supporting primary care workforce development.

This is compounding an already critical lack of access to health care for individuals experiencing homelessness. Street medicine has become a vital solution to addressing the unmet health gaps of this population. The adventist health ukiah valley residency program is committed to better preparing residents to care for this vulnerable population. Over the next five years, the residency program aims to enhance its training, especially in street medicine, community medicine, addiction medicine and infectious disease. IT will also leverage its community partnerships and other institutions to connect residents to additional resources. In year 1, the residency program will focus on developing a more comprehensive curricula and hands-on learning experiences. Years 2-3 will introduce full implementation, evaluation and continuous improvement. By year 4, the team will begin to develop a sustainability plan to ensure the project's long-term impact. By the end of the grant period, the proposed project aims to train 42 resident physicians and provide care to over 1,900 patients experiencing homelessness. IT will expand street medicine participation among residents from 12 days each year to 260. The project's model will be shared widely, with the potential for replication across the adventist health system and other organizations.