This is a recorded session from the SGIM 2025 Annual Meeting in Florida.
Dr. James Withers, the Founder of Street Medicine Institute, the Medical Director and Founder of Pittsburgh Mercy’s Operation Safety Net, and assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, encouraged the SGIM 2025 annual meeting attendees to “Go to the People”. In 1992, Dr. Withers partnered with a formerly unhoused individual to make ‘house calls’ to the unhoused community at night. This initial act of service became Operation Safety Net (OSN). This pioneering program delivers medical care and social services directly to the unhoused while serving as a reality-based learning platform for students of various disciplines.
Dr. Withers’ influence now spans the globe as he has:
- Established the International Street Medicine Symposium in 2005, fostering collaboration across six continents.
- Founded the Street Medicine Institute in 2009 to advance the global practice of street medicine.
- Created the first Street Medicine Fellowship at UPMC Mercy Hospital in 2019.
Expiration: June 1, 2028
To receive CME credit only, you must (1) watch the entire presentation, then (2) click the Certificate item to claim your certificate (print/save for your records).
To receive CME and MOC credit, you must (1) watch the entire presentation, (2) complete the brief MOC Assessment survey, and then (3) click the Certificate item to claim your certificate (print/save for your records).
- James Withers, MD
Street Medicine Institute
University of Pittsburgh
