Simplified: Medical care can be quite complicated, but it can also be as simple as grabbing a backpack of supplies and hitting the streets to see who needs help. That's exactly what the folks over at Midwest Street Medicine are doing for the most vulnerable people in Sioux Falls.
Why it matters
- Dr. Shannon Emry and Dr. Melissa Dittberner founded Midwest Street Medicine in the summer of 2023. The two doctors had met on a zoom call after being connected by a mutual friend, and they instantly bonded over a shared desire to advocate for social justice and provide medical care in an innovative way.
- Midwest Street Medicine now has a dozens of medical professionals who volunteer to walk around the streets of Sioux Falls and offer help where they can.
- The nonprofit not only provides medical care, but they're also looking to connect people with existing community resources related to mental health, addiction and even cultural healing.
"We’re a conduit," Dittberner said. "We don't pretend like we can do everything because we know better. We’re resource dealers."
Tell me more
The work of Midwest Street Medicine really starts with simply asking people what they need.
- Dittberner shared an example of a man in town who had a wound in his foot that was so infected it had maggots. Her team was able to offer him wound care on-the-spot.
Other situations involve more long-term relationship building and connecting people with the resources available.
- Another patient was often found passed out, injured or sick because of his active addiction.
"He had interaction literally almost every day with law enforcement and EMTs," Dittberner said.
- With the help of Midwest Street Medicine to make connections to other groups like The Link, Minnehaha County and more, that person was able to get into in-patient addiction treatment on a path to more stability.
These are just a few of the many examples of how Midwest Street Medicine is helping meet people where they are, asking them what they need and helping them find their next steps.
What happens next?
Midwest Street Medicine is holding their first major fundraiser next month, called "Reality Check: A Quest to Escape the Streets." It'll be an immersive way for people to get a small sense of what it's like to be unhoused, similar to an escape room and scavenger hunt.
- That event will take place starting at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 26 at Remedy Brewing Company. Learn more here.
The organization is also always seeking donations to help further their mission and connect people with the medical care they need. You can support their work here.
