HEALTH PROMOTION FOR THE HOMELESS
 According
to The Homeless News, "2.3 to 3.5 million people experience
an episode of homelessness every year, while 900,000 to 1,000,000
people are without shelter every night." In Cleveland there
are almost 2,100 documented homeless people.
These numbers do not account for the number
of families sleeping in cars or with relatives and friends. Consequently,
this population faces many barriers to obtaining adequate health
care. One barrier is the wide cultural gap between health providers
and the homeless population. The Health Promotion for the Homeless
elective was developed to address the situation described. There
are several homeless shelters throughout the City of Cleveland.
The Crossroads Men's program at The City Mission is a local program
that offers effective support for homeless men. The program was
chosen because it offers a stable population of homeless men who
are taking concrete, self-initiated steps toward recovery and
reintegration into society. Furthermore, the program offers a
racially diverse population with men from both the east and west
side of Cleveland.
The goals of the elective
are to increase the health awareness of the men in the shelter,
to increase student involvement in the community and to establish
a working relationship between the medical school and the community.
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LLOYD RUNSER AND THE BEGINNINGS OF HEALTH PROMOTION FOR THE HOMELESS
Lloyd Runser, a 4th year medical student
is exceptional as a student, colleague and leader. He has dedicated
both time and talent to understanding more fully the needs of
the underserved populations and has created valuable opportunities
for others to share in these experiences.
Early in his medical school career while working Dr. Scott Frank,
Lloyd administered a survey dealing with spirituality and healthcare
beliefs to the homeless men residing at the city mission.
As a result, he discovered the men were mostly interested in access
to health care and nutrition.
Lloyd realized that there was an opportunity for medical students
to go to area shelters and educate the residents about these and
other health issues. Due to the success of this initiative,
he proposed to create an elective called Health Promotion for
the Homeless.
Through his work as a medical student, Lloyd has not only improved
the lives of the homeless people in urban Cleveland but has also
enriched the lives of his fellow medical students. |
