He is Pittsburghs street doctor whose office is his backpack and who treats people where they live. For 22 years, Dr. Jim Withers has been walking under bridges and venturing into abandoned buildings dressed as a homeless man to care for the city’s rough sleepers free-of-charge. Now, his extraordinary outreach has grown into a national network of medical trainees and volunteers who help the helpless about five-nights-a-week. Scroll down for video The Street Doctor: Dr Jim Withers has been treating homeless people in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for free since 1992 dressed as a rough sleeper+7 The Street Doctor: Dr Jim Withers has been treating homeless people in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for free since 1992 dressed as a rough sleeper Generous: Dr Jim Withers (center) with a volunteer trainee doctor treating a homeless man in Pittsburgh+7 Generous: Dr Jim Withers (center) with a volunteer trainee doctor treating a homeless man in Pittsburgh The first thing that hit me was the number of people squirreled away under bridges and campsites. The level of fear and bitterness towards the medical community and general community hit me full blast, Withers told The Huffington Post. As I began to look at the medical issues, I began to realize there were people with bad wounds, unhealed ulcers, cancers and all kinds of things that werent being addressed. Withers incredible labor of love began in 1992 when he was a hospital specialist. While he had a strong desire to help Pennsylvanias poor and homeless, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine graduate lacked the street nous to approach them. More... Mans best friend: Wiley the coyote, the family pet who likes to sit by the fire, goes for walks on his leash and plays fetch with a tennis ball Couple celebrate 66th wedding anniversary at the Waldforf Astoria, spending $15 on an $800 room thanks to hotel loophole After a long search, he teamed up with a formerly homeless man, Mike Sallows, who helped him build trust with the homeless population. Dr. Withers still remembers Sallows forceful advice: Dont dress like a doctor and dont act like a jerk. So disguised as homeless men and carrying backpacks with free medicine from drug reps, the duo offered their services. Their story has been beautifully documented by filmmaker Julie Sokolow, which debuted on the website NationSwell on Thursday. Dr. Jim Withers on the streets of Pittsburgh US doctor takes to the streets to treat homeless Kindhearted: Dr Jim Withers (left) and formerly homeless man Mike Sallows (right) began their extraordinary outreach on the dark streets of Pittsburgh in 1992+7 Kindhearted: Dr Jim Withers (left) and formerly homeless man Mike Sallows (right) began their extraordinary outreach on the dark streets of Pittsburgh in 1992 Wide reach: Dr Jim Withers estimates he has treated more than 26,400 rough sleepers over 22 years, including this homeless person+7 Wide reach: Dr Jim Withers estimates he has treated more than 26,400 rough sleepers over 22 years, including this homeless person Literally, I started dressing like a homeless person and sneaking out at night with a guy who used to be homeless. As far as why, that had a lot more to do with my concern for the way we treated other people, Dr. Withers told The Huffington Post. As a medical educator, if I could find a new classroom where we could be forced to come to grips with people outside the system, for me, that required a complete plunge. Dr. Withers said he initially faced some resistance from his peers who believed he was risking his standing in the medical community for the sake of his vision. But to the visionary doctor, the need for his services was too great. He has treated an 85-year-old paranoid man whose legs were so infected, maggots grew inside them; a woman who was diagnosed with cancer several times; and an elderly man who risked losing his eyesight to a treatable condition. Dr. Withers, a father-of-four, doesnt need to dress like a homeless man anymore. He has become a hero on the streets of Pittsburgh, and is welcomed by the citys struggling population. With the support of his loving wife Gayathri, who he married in 1984, Dr. Withers estimates he has treated more than 26,000 people since 1992 and has become well-loved in the local community. Dr. Jim Withers and Mike Sallow preparing to hit the streets Dr Jim Withers+7 Sallows+7 Sound advice: Before former homeless man Mike Sallows (right) began working with Dr Jim Withers (left), he advised the kind medical practitioner, Dont dress like a doctor and dont act like a jerk Preparation: Dr Withers packs a range of medications and devices before he hits the road, including cold and flu pills, vitamins and inhalers+7 Preparation: Dr Withers packs a range of medications and devices before he hits the road, including cold and flu pills, vitamins and inhalers Since his initial outreach more than two decades ago, the humble doctor has grown his nightly service into the nonprofit Operation Safety Net, part of Pittsburgh Mercy Health System and one of the nation’s first full-time street medicine programs. Dr. Withers and Operation Safety Net’s 16-member full-time staff of social workers, case managers, physicians, nurses and outreach workers have helped thousands of people. The team has reportedly assisted 75 percent of the people theyve treated get health insurance and more than 500 into homes. They have regular patients who are always happy to see them. Dr. Withers founded the organization in 1993 with a $50,000 start-up grant from the Sisters of Mercy, Pittsburgh Magazine reported. It’s kind of an ongoing adventure to figure out how to make something like this work, Dr. Withers, an internal medical physician, said. More than 90 countries have developed similar street medicine units. Dr. Withers said the free service helps ease pressure on under-resourced emergency medical services and hospitals, while honoring the rights of the disadvantaged. Inspired by his physician fathers missionary work in North America and his idol Mother Teresa, Dr. Withers believes his work will never be done. The power of health care goes way beyond medicine. It changes all the people involved: the homeless become more empowered and they get the courage to get off the streets, Withers said. I think healing is really the formation of community, a community that sees each person as having value. We’re all in this together. R \
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 17:46:18 +0000
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