Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Southern California received a $500,000 Project Grant award effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031, under the Primary Care Training and Enhancement (CFDA 93.884) program administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Health Professionals. The award funds the Primary Care for Unsheltered Homeless in Street Medicine Education (PULSE) program, a collaborative initiative developed by USC Street Medicine in partnership with the Keck School of Medicine Family Medicine Residency and Ventura County Medical Center Family Medicine Residency. The program addresses California's homelessness crisis, which affected over 161,000 individuals in 2024, with 74% experiencing unsheltered homelessness in conditions that exacerbate physical health, mental health, and substance use disorders.

The PULSE program delivers comprehensive workforce development and medical education through five innovative learning interventions designed to increase the number of primary care physicians trained to serve people experiencing homelessness outside traditional clinical settings. Key program components include a street medicine boot camp, street medicine didactic education, a street medicine podcast with open office hours, clinical rotations with rotation-specific curricula, and integrated training in primary care, substance use treatment, and mental health care delivery. The program leverages USC Street Medicine's existing five-day-per-week interprofessional clinical operations on Los Angeles streets to provide family medicine residents and other medical learners with practical competency development in delivering comprehensive care to vulnerable populations while integrating research and health policy education.