Dr Oz: Doctor Helping The Homeless
Dr Oz shared that after hours, a doctor he was about to introduce spent his time offering his services to the people on the streets who are often neglected. Dr Jim Withers has devoted his life to serving the under-served. He’s been bringing hope to the homeless for more than 20 years. He brings a backpack of supplies with him to the streets of Pittsburgh nightly, to care for those unable or unwilling to seek medical care on their own.
Dr Oz talked to the doctor who spends his free time providing medical care to the homeless. (livenature / flickr)
The homeless community now welcomes Dr Withers as one of their own. The people he helps are suffering from everything from infected wounds to deadly cancers, and Dr Withers serves as their only hope for survival. He knows that people are hanging on for dear life, and he knows it just as easily could have been him in that position.
Dr Oz: Street Medicine Institute
Dr Withers said his dad used to take him on house calls when he was little, and so going to help people was natural to him. He knew there was a disconnect between people and the health system. He shared that the Street Medicine Institute he founded has now reached almost 50 communities.
Dr Withers said the first thing about people on the streets is their hopelessness. He said they have a sense that no one cares about them, which is why he initially dressed as a homeless person to “mingle” with them. He then had to find a way to make them comfortable to go with them in solidarity to get them the services they needed.
He’s been doing it for 23 years, which means thousands of people have benefited from his work.
Dr Oz: Medical Help For Homeless
Dr Withers shared that one man he helps, named Jack, is an ex-Marine who fell into hard times. When he was on the street, Bill got him into housing and was inspired by his road to recovery. Jack actually made a video for Dr Withers explaining how he grew to trust him. He said he didn’t know how he would have done it without the support that Dr Withers gave him, and he became a good friend.
Dr Withers said it’s very humbling, and quoted Dr Oz, who said he wanted no more barriers between patients and medicine. He said we have to reach out to those people who are excluded and left out in order to be as healthy as we can be.
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