Bringing Healthcare to the Homeless in Mendocino County
Adventist Health Ukiah Valley's Street Medicine Program is expanding access to care for some of Mendocino County's most vulnerable residents.
The Adventist Health Ukiah Valley Street Medicine Program was developed to address profound health disparities affecting people experiencing homelessness in Mendocino County. In this rural community, residents experience higher rates of chronic illness and shorter life expectancy compared to state averages, with individuals experiencing homelessness facing even more severe outcomes — including an average life expectancy of just 47 years.
Systemic barriers such as lack of stable housing, transportation, and access to routine care contribute to significantly higher reliance on emergency department services, with patients experiencing homelessness utilizing emergency care at rates approximately 25% higher than housed individuals when managing multiple conditions.
In response, Adventist Health Ukiah Valley launched a multidisciplinary Street Medicine Program that brings healthcare directly to individuals living in unsheltered environments. The COMPASS Care Management Street Medicine team — comprised of a registered nurse, social workers, a substance use navigator, and community health workers, with physician or nurse practitioner support twice each week — provides care in the field five days a week, meeting patients where they are.
Each year, the team delivers episodic care to hundreds of individuals while helping dozens establish ongoing primary care relationships, often after years of limited or no connection to the healthcare system. Key components of the program include:
- Specialized street medicine training
- Medication “backpack” model that provides timely access to prescriptions in the field
- Consistent care team dedicated to building trust, improving continuity of care, and fostering long-term engagement
The COMPASS Care Management Street Medicine Program is already demonstrating meaningful results, improving health outcomes while reducing avoidable healthcare utilization. Among participants enrolled in the medication backpack intervention, healthcare utilization decreased by 48% in 2025 (Q1–Q4) compared to the three months prior to engagement. This reduction reflects improved access to medications, better management of chronic conditions, and stronger continuity of care.
The program is also contributing to improvements in key clinical quality measures, including hypertension control, diabetes A1c management, and asthma medication adherence, while helping build trust between patients and the healthcare system. By combining field-based clinical care with relationship-centered engagement, the Street Medicine Program is not only reducing strain on healthcare resources but also advancing a scalable, person-centered model of care that promotes long-term health and health equity.
Learn more About COMPASS Care Management
Invest in health equity
For individuals experiencing homelessness, a simple medication refill, blood pressure check, or trusted healthcare relationship can be life changing. Through the COMPASS Care Management Street Medicine Program, Adventist Health Ukiah Valley is delivering care directly to those who face the greatest barriers to accessing it.
Your generosity can help provide critical medical supplies, medications, transportation resources, and outreach services that connect vulnerable community members to ongoing care and healthier futures.
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