On a single night in January 2017, an estimated 553,742 people were experiencing homelessness in the United States. 17,565 of those individuals live without permanent housing in Massachusetts alone.^[1] PMA Wellness Program (PWP) is a pilot initiative to provide episodic “bridge” care and other healthcare services to a community of approximately 60 individuals experiencing homelessness who frequent Emmanuel Church. Our objective is to complement existing support systems that provide resources in metro Boston, coordinating with collaborative partners.

Our  pilot monthly medical program began last March 2018. It is our hope to operate monthly. 

With the PMA Wellness Program (PWP) initiative, PMA intends to advance caring for the health and well-being of individuals without housing, those uninsured, underinsured, or otherwise vulnerable in Boston. Collaboration is being conducted with the Boston Public Health Commission, Common Cathedral, Healthcare Without Walls, Boston Healthcare for the Homeless, and Northeastern School of Nursing to develop PWP’s role in effectively supporting this community.

Seeking input and feedback from service leaders and community members, our team provideS free monthly healthcare services, growing this operation as our relationship develops with the individuals we care for. PWP Wellness Gatherings are held on a Saturday each month from 10:00AM-2:00 PM. How Ya Doin’ events are primarily day relief shelters where residents can avail of a nutritious breakfast and lunch, and have an option to join fitness activities or a wellness talk on a health topic. Providers (Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, Dental, Pediatrics, Surgery, OB-Gyn & Women’s Health) and volunteers (medical assistants, clinic administrators, medical or nursing students) will have the opportunity to forge trusting relationships with community members.

PWP prides itself in community diagnosis activities following principles of participatory action research and narrative inquiry, honoring community members’ narratives and emphasizing equal participation between volunteers and community participants. These approaches will allow us to identify the strategic, frontline role PWP can play in addressing the unmet needs of Boston’s homeless community. Simultaneously, our team will continue to develop a fundraising plan to support increased access and retention for preventive care services through tangible, relevant incentives to the community (e.g. previous colon cancer screening event at Father Bill’s Place received a generous donation of backpacks, creating an incentive for community members to get screened). PMA’s services will remain focused, informed, and flexible as we create a sustainable support program to address the evolving needs of the homeless community in Boston.

[1] The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Community Planning and Development, The 2017 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, 12/2017