UB HEALS 2024-2025

$2,828
56%
Raised toward our $5,000 Goal
16 Donors
6
days left
Project ends on February 28, at 11:42 AM EST
Project Owners

UB HEALS 2024-2025

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UB HEALS (Homeless health, Education, Awareness, and Leadership in Street Medicine) is a student run street medicine outreach initiative of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. Our medical street outreach team supports individuals experiencing homelessness in Buffalo, reconnecting them to the health care system and improving their health outcomes. 

ABOUT UB HEALS:

We are out in the community every Tuesday and Thursday. Our team travels to the bus station, various shelters, and/or walks the streets with healthcare and outreach professionals equipped with supplies, basic medications, clothing and other necessities for living. We strive to care for acute needs, connect patients with long-term care, and build trusting relationships with a historically underserved population.

OUR MISSION:

To increase access to health care and education among the homeless population of Buffalo, NY. UB Heals is dedicated to bridging the gap between underserved populations and essential healthcare services through compassionate, student-led outreach.

WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO THIS YEAR:

  • Secured storage on UB South Campus
  • Integrated our work into the 'community connect' medical school curriculum
  • Purchased generators for code blue shelters and helped clean/stock shelters for the 2025 winter season
  • Increased spending power by 600%
  • Developed new CPR/Narcan community training
  • Increased awareness through local news
  • Created business cards in multiple languages to increase awareness of and access to our resources 
  • Acquired a refrigerator to give out fresh produce on rounds
  • Overhauled executive board positions
  • Worked with NFTA police to secure a private space for medical exams at the bus station 
  • Created a new partnership with Hope Gardens
  • Conducted a clothing drive and 'shop for free' event at the public library
  • Held multiple foot clinics at Empowerment Academy. This initiative allowed us to provide foot care packages to individuals experiencing homelessness in the Buffalo community, promoting foot hygiene and improving the comfort of our patients.
  • Established a relationship with Buffalo PA, MSW, and dental students who now join us regularly on rounds to provide holistic care
  • Partnered with MATTERS to hand out harm reduction supplies and conduct on the spot narcan trainings on rounds
  • Interviewed a patient who we positively impacted. This media will be included in medical education next year to help destigmatize and advocate for individuals experiencing homelessness and addiction 
  • Created pamphlets to counsel patients on common medical problems like smoking cessation, diabetes, and BP
  • Established connection with National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC) 
  • Provided new boots, socks, and winter gear to our community with the intent of decreasing exposure to Buffalo's harsh weather patterns
  • Project Homeless Connect. This project allowed us to reach out to more people who are not yet aware of the services UBHeals provides to the community. We also checked vital signs and connected patients with providers if they did not already have one.  


WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP:

In an effort to maintain our current efforts and continue expanding our impact in the city of Buffalo, we are looking to the City of Good Neighbors to help us support our homeless neighbors. Our primary goal is to ensure that UB HEALS has a sustained presence for many years to come. We need your help to fund our upcoming initiatives that will improve the well-being of our patients. Our medical supplies and pharmacy are our major recurring cost, so your donation could be used to care for a wound or refill an important medication. Looking forward, we are working on helping our neighbors with transportation to ensure their medical needs are met. We appreciate any contribution to help us reach these goals! 


SINCE OUR INCEPTION IN SPRING 2016:

UB HEALS has conducted approximately 900+ rounds and thousands of patient encounters. These encounters include services such as:

  • Assessment/treatment of acute physical and emotional needs
  • Medication reconciliation and other patient education
  • Distribution of clothing, toiletries, and other necessities
  • Linkage to primary care, behavioral health, and social services

To learn more visit, our website at https://www.ubheals.org/

UB HEALS IN THE NEWS

Spectrum: Buffalo students doing their part to help those experiencing homelessness

Spectrum News: UB Holds Foot Clinic for Homeless on Buffalo's West Side

UB Seen: UB HEALS Clinic UB holds foot clinic for homeless on Buffalo's west side

American Medical Association: Moving Medicine: Making house calls to those without homes

SUNY Big Ideas: Students Help The Homeless Stay Healthy On The Streets of Buffalo

Buffalo's 2019 30 Under 30: UB HEALS founder, Moudi Hubeishy, is a winner of 30 Under 30

UB News: UB HEALS wins one grant, seeks another 

WKBW: University at Buffalo students help the homeless

The Buffalo News: UB med students make their rounds on Buffalo streets, shelters 

WGRZ: UB HEALS helps Buffalo's homeless population

WNY Papers: Next Generation United picks UB HEALS as top winner in Pitch 10 Competition

WIVB: UB Medical students take different approach to patient care 

Spectrum: UB Med students Take Health Care to the Streets 

American Medical Association: Members Move Medicine: Helping patients wherever they are

 

 HOMELESSNESS IN ERIE COUNTY

  • The 2024 Point-in-Time Count reported 1,125 homeless individuals in Erie County 
  • In 2023, 5,682 people in Erie County faced the instability of losing their housing 
  • 83% of households who experienced homelessness were one-person households 
  • 41.6% had a documented disability (compared to 13.7% of all Erie County Residents) 
  • 35.6% of people were aged 25-44 
  • 53.5% were Black (compared to 12.9% of all Erie County Residents)
  • 20.4% were Hispanic/Latin(a)(o)(x) (compared to 6% of all Erie County Residents)
  • 38.2% were White (compared to 75.4% of all Erie County Residents)

TOP REASONS FOR HOMELESSNESS IN ERIE COUNTY

1. Relocation from out of the area 

2. Household disputes (not DV) 

3. Court eviction by landlord

4. Loss of job/income (includes public benefits) 

5. Asked to leave by landlord

6. Domestic violence 

7. Eviction by primary tenant

8. Mental health 

9. Release from institution 

10. Substance use

STAY IN TOUCH WITH US

Email: ubheals@gmail.com

Our website 

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Levels
Choose a giving level

$5

Prescription for warmth

Provide 1 "prescription for warmth" pack helping to keep individuals safe from hypothermia and frostbite.

$10

G(love) thy neighbor

Provide our patients with gloves to keep them warm through the winter.

$32

Code Blue

At 32 degrees F "Code Blue" goes into effect, helping people get off the streets into warm shelters.

$33

Years of street medicine

Dr. Jim Withers founded the practice of street medicine in Pittsburgh, PA 33 years ago in 1992. He has started a world wide movement that UB HEALS is honored to be a part of.

$52.50

The City of Good Neighbors

The city of Buffalo is 52.5 square miles that UB HEALS travels providing medical services at no cost.

$85

Putting Buffalo on the map

Over 85 cities across 15 countries and 5 continents are currently doing street medicine outreach. UB HEALS is putting Buffalo on the map!

$104

House Calls to the Homeless

UB HEALS conducts 104 "street rounds" each year. Twice a week, our team takes to the streets to meet patients where they are at, and help address their medical, emotional and psychosocial needs.

$142.03

Zip code

The zip code of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, where future physicians get more than just the classroom experience.

$716

Buffalove

All money donated helps the lives of our neighbors in the 716 area code.

$3,500

Visits to the Homeless

Since we started our work, UB HEALS has conducted over 3,500 patient encounters - working hard to improve the health and well being of homeless individuals and families.

Our Crowdfunding Groups