Valley Health Partners Street Medicine

A health care outreach program serving the homeless in the Lehigh Valley

Valley Health Partners (VHP) Street Medicine delivers primary and urgent health care to persons experiencing homelessness in the Lehigh Valley. Under this program, the team utilizes a holistic patient-led approach to not only provide high-quality health care but also address barriers to health care access. Patients are offered numerous services and links to community partners – tele-psychiatry, mail services, care coordination, survival support, grant-funded medical respite and connection to housing services. The aim is to offer care in terms acceptable to patients in the location of their choice whether that be in a homeless shelter, soup kitchens, on the streets, under bridges or in the woods.

VHP Street Medicine was founded on the idea that everybody matters. The team continues to focus its efforts on the unsheltered, persons living outside, by doing outreach four out of five days of the work week. Furthermore, the team offers clinics on a scheduled rotation at eight designated community centers, soup kitchens and homeless shelters, as well as provides support to other Lehigh Valley shelters and recovery homes on an as-needed basis.

Additionally, VHP Street Medicine provides inpatient and emergency department consultations to Lehigh Valley Health Network and phone consultations to area hospitals and organizations who are serving the homeless. Inpatient consults serve to initiate a relationship between the patient and the team prior to discharge and facilitate follow-up. Moreover, the team offers management recommendations based on an astute understanding of the patient’s barriers and available resources.

VHP Street Medicine serves all patients regardless of their ability to pay.

Need an appointment?

Contact our street medicine program.

Call 484-268-0755

VHP Street Medicine Clinics

Printable VHP Street Medicine Clinic Location List

Allentown

Allentown Warming Station
Every Monday, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. (11/1/2021-4/25/2022)
YMCA, 425 15th St., Allentown, 18102
*Open to shelter residents only.

Ripple Community, Inc.
Every 1st, 3rd Fridays, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (year-round)
1335 W. Linden St., Allentown, 18102

The Lehigh Conference of Churches
Every 4th Thursday, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (year-round)
457 W. Allen St., Allentown, 18102

Bethlehem

Bethlehem Emergency Shelter
Every Thursday, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. (11/18/2021-4/28/2022)
75 E. Market St., Bethlehem, 18108
*Open to shelter residents only.

New Bethany soup kitchen
Every 4th Monday, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 a.m. (year-round)
333 W. 4th St., Bethlehem, 18015

Trinity soup kitchen
Every 2nd, 4th Tuesday, 12 p.m.- 2 p.m. (year-round)
44 E. Market St., Bethlehem, 18108

Valley Youth House
Every 1st, 3rd Thursdays, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. (year-round)
539 8th Ave., Bethlehem 18018
*Open to shelter residents only.

Easton

Safe Harbor
Every 2nd & 4th Friday, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (year-round)
Every 1st and 3rd Tuesday, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (year-round)
536 Bushkill Drive, Easton 18042

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StreetMed

Street Medicine FAQs

What is the goal?

To provide holistic primary health care to people experiencing homelessness on terms that are acceptable to them. The team’s success relies on delivering care with compassion and dignity, and collaborative relationships nurtured between the patient and health care provider. The value of Street Medicine is that this model of health care can contribute to vastly improving health equity for an entire community, not just the unhoused.

Who is eligible for Street Medicine services? 

Anyone in the Lehigh Valley experiencing homelessness.

Community Resources

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Community Resources