Mercy Care's street medicine team helps Atlanta's homeless

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Photos: The Mercy Care street medicine team

Photos: Mercy Care started a street medicine team in Atlanta five years ago. Four days a week, nurses and a social workers provide medical and mental health care to people living on the streets.

August 22, 2019 Atlanta - Mathew Reed (left), Mercy Care case manager, encourages his client at Mercy Community Church in Atlanta on Thursday, August 22, 2019. Mercy Care started a street medicine team five years ago one night a week and has expanded the program - to four days/nights a team of nurses and a social workers provide medical and mental health care to people living on the streets. They take blood pressure, draw blood, prescribe medicine and listen. They want to bring comfort, and show these people they care, but they also want to transform lives and get these people into permanent housing. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

July 24, 2019 Atlanta - Mercy Care street medicine team members visit a homeless encampment around abandoned structure of Bankhead Highway Bridge near Northside Drive in Atlanta on Thursday, July 24, 2019. Mercy Care started a street medicine team five years ago one night a week and has expanded the program - to four days/nights a team of nurses and a social workers provide medical and mental health care to people living on the streets. They take blood pressure, draw blood, prescribe medicine and listen. They want to bring comfort, and show these people they care, but they also want to transform lives and get these people into permanent housing. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

July 24, 2019 Atlanta - Mercy Care street medicine team members Mathew Reed (left) and Stephanie Dotson (right) assist client Larry Gilliam at homeless encampment near abandoned structure of Bankhead Highway Bridge near Northside Drive in Atlanta on Thursday, July 24, 2019. Mercy Care started a street medicine team five years ago one night a week and has expanded the program - to four days/nights a team of nurses and a social workers provide medical and mental health care to people living on the streets. They take blood pressure, draw blood, prescribe medicine and listen. They want to bring comfort, and show these people they care, but they also want to transform lives and get these people into permanent housing. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

August 22, 2019 Atlanta - Mercy Care street medicine team member Joy Fernandez (nurse practitioner), checks on her client Sandra Hill at Mercy Community Church in Atlanta on Thursday, August 22, 2019. Mercy Care started a street medicine team five years ago one night a week and has expanded the program - to four days/nights a team of nurses and a social workers provide medical and mental health care to people living on the streets. They take blood pressure, draw blood, prescribe medicine and listen. They want to bring comfort, and show these people they care, but they also want to transform lives and get these people into permanent housing. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

July 24, 2019 Atlanta - Mercy Care street medicine team members arrive a homeless encampment near Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta on Thursday, July 24, 2019. Mercy Care started a street medicine team five years ago one night a week and has expanded the program - to four days/nights a team of nurses and a social workers provide medical and mental health care to people living on the streets. They take blood pressure, draw blood, prescribe medicine and listen. They want to bring comfort, and show these people they care, but they also want to transform lives and get these people into permanent housing. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

July 24, 2019 Atlanta - Stephanie Dotson (left) measures the blood pressure of a client at a homeless encampment near Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta on Thursday, July 24, 2019. Mercy Care started a street medicine team five years ago one night a week and has expanded the program - to four days/nights a team of nurses and a social workers provide medical and mental health care to people living on the streets. They take blood pressure, draw blood, prescribe medicine and listen. They want to bring comfort, and show these people they care, but they also want to transform lives and get these people into permanent housing. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

July 24, 2019 Atlanta - Stephanie Dotson (right) measures the blood pressure of client Johnsie Holloway at a homeless encampment near Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta on Thursday, July 24, 2019. Mercy Care started a street medicine team five years ago one night a week and has expanded the program - to four days/nights a team of nurses and a social workers provide medical and mental health care to people living on the streets. They take blood pressure, draw blood, prescribe medicine and listen. They want to bring comfort, and show these people they care, but they also want to transform lives and get these people into permanent housing. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

July 24, 2019 Atlanta - Johnsie Holloway (left) and Shelly Brisbon (right, sitting) talk at a homeless encampment near Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta on Thursday, July 24, 2019. Mercy Care started a street medicine team five years ago one night a week and has expanded the program - to four days/nights a team of nurses and a social workers provide medical and mental health care to people living on the streets. They take blood pressure, draw blood, prescribe medicine and listen. They want to bring comfort, and show these people they care, but they also want to transform lives and get these people into permanent housing. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

July 24, 2019 Atlanta - Daniel Storms shows her tent at a homeless encampment near Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta on Thursday, July 24, 2019. Mercy Care started a street medicine team five years ago one night a week and has expanded the program - to four days/nights a team of nurses and a social workers provide medical and mental health care to people living on the streets. They take blood pressure, draw blood, prescribe medicine and listen. They want to bring comfort, and show these people they care, but they also want to transform lives and get these people into permanent housing. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

July 24, 2019 Atlanta - Mathew Reed (left), Mercy Care case manager, helps client Candace Mathews with online application for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) inside Mercy Care van at a homeless encampment near Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta on Thursday, July 24, 2019. Mercy Care started a street medicine team five years ago one night a week and has expanded the program - to four days/nights a team of nurses and a social workers provide medical and mental health care to people living on the streets. They take blood pressure, draw blood, prescribe medicine and listen. They want to bring comfort, and show these people they care, but they also want to transform lives and get these people into permanent housing. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

July 24, 2019 Atlanta - Mercy Care street medicine team volunteer Larren Adams (left) talks to a client at a homeless encampment near Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta on Thursday, July 24, 2019. Mercy Care started a street medicine team five years ago one night a week and has expanded the program - to four days/nights a team of nurses and a social workers provide medical and mental health care to people living on the streets. They take blood pressure, draw blood, prescribe medicine and listen. They want to bring comfort, and show these people they care, but they also want to transform lives and get these people into permanent housing. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

August 22, 2019 Atlanta - Mercy Care street medicine team members Stephanie Dotson (right), nurse LPN, and Bonnie Stedge, medical student, prepare before they leave to meet and check clients at Mercy Care in Atlanta on Thursday, August 22, 2019. Mercy Care started a street medicine team five years ago one night a week and has expanded the program - to four days/nights a team of nurses and a social workers provide medical and mental health care to people living on the streets. They take blood pressure, draw blood, prescribe medicine and listen. They want to bring comfort, and show these people they care, but they also want to transform lives and get these people into permanent housing. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

August 22, 2019 Atlanta - Mercy Care street medicine team member Joy Fernandez (center), nurse practitioner, listens to her client Dominiq Uqa as she and other clients are getting foot cares from volunteers (right) at Mercy Community Church in Atlanta on Thursday, August 22, 2019. Mercy Care started a street medicine team five years ago one night a week and has expanded the program - to four days/nights a team of nurses and a social workers provide medical and mental health care to people living on the streets. They take blood pressure, draw blood, prescribe medicine and listen. They want to bring comfort, and show these people they care, but they also want to transform lives and get these people into permanent housing. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

July 24, 2019 Atlanta - Willie Franks is a former homeless and now live in permanent housing through the help with Mercy Care street medicine team at Phoenix House, affordable housing complex reserved for the homeless and mentally disabled, in Atlanta on Thursday, July 24, 2019. Mercy Care started a street medicine team five years ago one night a week and has expanded the program - to four days/nights a team of nurses and a social workers provide medical and mental health care to people living on the streets. They take blood pressure, draw blood, prescribe medicine and listen. They want to bring comfort, and show these people they care, but they also want to transform lives and get these people into permanent housing. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

July 24, 2019 Atlanta - Stephanie Dotson gets a hug from her client Willie Franks (right) as Mercy Care street medicine team members visit to check their clients at Phoenix House, affordable housing complex reserved for the homeless and mentally disabled, in Atlanta on Thursday, July 24, 2019. Mercy Care started a street medicine team five years ago one night a week and has expanded the program - to four days/nights a team of nurses and a social workers provide medical and mental health care to people living on the streets. They take blood pressure, draw blood, prescribe medicine and listen. They want to bring comfort, and show these people they care, but they also want to transform lives and get these people into permanent housing. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

July 24, 2019 Atlanta - Stephanie Dotson measures the blood pressure of her client Marlon Walker as Mercy Care street medicine team members visit to check their clients at Phoenix House, affordable housing complex reserved for the homeless and mentally disabled, in Atlanta on Thursday, July 24, 2019. Mercy Care started a street medicine team five years ago one night a week and has expanded the program - to four days/nights a team of nurses and a social workers provide medical and mental health care to people living on the streets. They take blood pressure, draw blood, prescribe medicine and listen. They want to bring comfort, and show these people they care, but they also want to transform lives and get these people into permanent housing. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

Ronald Bussey and Matthew Reed of Street Medicine Team.

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August 22, 2019 Atlanta - Mathew Reed (left), Mercy Care case manager, encourages his client at Mercy Community Church in Atlanta on Thursday, August 22, 2019. Mercy Care started a street medicine team five years ago one night a week and has expanded the program - to four days/nights a team of nurses and a social workers provide medical and mental health care to people living on the streets. They take blood pressure, draw blood, prescribe medicine and listen. They want to bring comfort, and show these people they care, but they also want to transform lives and get these people into permanent housing. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

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