CADILLAC — A Traverse City-based medical outreach program is expanding its services into Wexford County to provide health care to people experiencing homelessness.
Starting Monday, July 14, Traverse Health Clinic’s Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) will begin regular visits to The Salvation Army, Wexford County Public Library and New Hope Center in Cadillac as part of its TC Street Medicine program. The expansion is aimed at reducing barriers to care and improving health outcomes among one of the region’s most vulnerable populations.
“We’re proud to expand our Street Medicine program to Cadillac, bringing vital healthcare directly to those who need it most,” said Casey Kandow, CEO of Traverse Health Clinic. “In collaboration, and made possible by Munson Healthcare and Goodwill Northern Michigan, this program ensures that members of the unsheltered community—who may face significant barriers to traditional care—can access compassionate, high-quality services where they are.”
A $150,000 donation from Munson Healthcare earlier this year helped fund a full-time program coordinator and supported the launch of services in the Cadillac area. Organizers say the expanded hours and presence of the MMU are expected to reduce emergency room visits for non-urgent medical issues and help close major health disparity gaps.
“There are two significant goals of the Mobile Medical Unit: bring care to the people and connect people to care around them,” said Hannah Brown, outreach services manager at Traverse Health Clinic. “We can provide many of the same health services in our mobile unit that we can in our brick-and-mortar location, but our focus is to help patients establish and continue to seek health care with a primary care provider, behavioral health provider or other medical professional.”
The MMU is outfitted with an exam room and offers services such as preventive care, chronic disease management, and connections to ongoing medical and behavioral health support.
TC Street Medicine is a collaboration between Traverse Health Clinic, Munson Family Practice Center and Goodwill Northern Michigan. It is part of a broader national movement to bring health care directly to people experiencing homelessness.
“Nobody chooses to be unhoused,” said Dr. David Klee of Munson Healthcare. “When people are unhoused, they are forced to spend much of their day trying to secure the basic necessities of food, shelter and safety. Time to address important health issues is often lacking, which explains why being unhoused decreases your life expectancy by 30 years.”
An estimated 100 people in Cadillac lack a place to sleep each night, according to local housing advocates.
“This expansion continues to uphold Traverse Health Clinic’s core mission: ensuring that no one’s health gets left behind,” Kandow said.
For more information, visit www.traversehealthclinic.org or call (231) 642-5895.